


Something happened on the way to heaven

by maymay74



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-11 14:24:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8986306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maymay74/pseuds/maymay74
Summary: Leah thought she had time. She didn't. But she's offered a chance, a chance to right something wrong in exchange. A mission. With time and forces working against her, and under the tutelage of an inexperienced mentor, will she make it? BXE, Very OOC.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is a Christmas story that's been lurking on my computer for a few years. I never finish it on time and the poor thing has to wait for another year. So, now I'm giving this one a chance. It's already written, but I'm still tweaking with some things as I'm dividing it into chapters. I'll be posting between today and tomorrow, to finish on Sunday. Meanwhile, I'll be posting the chapters from my other stories as I'll be on a little vacation time for next week.
> 
> This is a bit different from the usual Christmas story. The beginning is sad, and yeah, there's a death (not Bella or Edward). But I promise you, there's a HEA. There's mention of heaven, limbo, hell, angels and little devils. I hope to not offend anyone.

Thursday, November 10th.

Volturi Inc. Seattle's office. At the intern's farewell party...

"I told you, he's nothing. A nuisance." Bella pleaded.

"A nuisance that sent me a text... from your phone." Edward stopped and got his cell out of his pocket. "Let's see: 'I'll be late to the party. Mrs. Cope brought us cake.' So excuse me if I'm angry. Tell me, did the both of you laugh when you wrote it?" He said glaring at her.

Bella gasped. "How could you think I would... You, you don't trust me?"

"I always trusted you, yet, I came to find you dancing happily in his arms. Meanwhile, we were supposed to arrive together, so tell me why didn't you wait for me?"

"I... I..."

"You forgot!"

"No! It wasn't like that!" She was on the verge of tears. Who could he misconstrue an innocent gesture? Suddenly, she remembered something. There was a reason why she didn't go for him immediately. "I got an envelope." She said while Edward stood still glaring. "From the LA office."

Now it was Edward's turn to pale.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bella pleaded.

"Because it wasn't important." He shrugged his shoulders.

"You receive the job offer of your dreams and think that it isn't important?"

"It isn't important because I rejected it. I'm not going."

Bella gasped. "But your worked your ass for that offer!"

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters, it's about your future."

Edward answered her with an exasperated smile. "My future? I always thought it was about OUR future. But I'm beginning to see, that maybe it's JUST MY future, right?"

The shouting match that followed gained the attention of their coworkers, but soon they were forgotten when Mr. Volturi, the CEO, went to the stage to say a few heartfelt words to the young crowd.

Well, a few eyes were still staring, with smug smiles.

"You didn't tell me! We're a team!" Bella cried in despair. "And you don't trust me anymore." The last part came as a whisper.

"I never doubted you... until now." Edward was making an effort to conceal his tears. "Here, take your phone. It fell from Michael's jacket." He put it on Bella's hand, still trying to linger for a few more seconds. It was the last time he would touch her.

Bella was crying, untying her necklace, the ultimate proof of their love. "Here, I think you should take it back." He took it, wishing he could turn back time, but what for? She was giving up on them.

"So, this is it."

"Yes."

"I wish you the best, Bella." He turned around fast and walked without giving her a second glance. Tears were spilling and sobs were threatening to come. If he could hold them just until he find a bathroom...

Bella didn't have the courage to watch him leave. She turned to the other side and ran to the exit. she was so glad it was her car the one they drove to work today.

xxx

Buffalo, somewhere around the highway.

Same night.

"Are you sure you don't like it? I mean, everybody loves chocolate!" The young chirpy blond argued. She couldn't believe how someone wasn't excited for a free bag of candy.

On the driver's seat, Leah was regretting her offer for a ride. See, Leah loved to drive on the highway. Being one with your car and the road... it always managed to bring peace to her saddened heart and the almost forty minute commute between work and her home always left her relaxed. But when she saw Leslie, her young coworker sad because her car broke and she found herself alone and drowning in the heavy rain, she offered a lift without a doubt. Leslie's home was only a couple of blocks down Leah's home, so it really wouldn't inconvenience her. That's it until she found out Leslie loooves to talk. Meaningless chatter filled the voids of silence and Leah found herself wanting to bang her head to the steering wheel.

"Anyway, what are your plans for Thanksgiving? I mean, you can come home with me. My mother would love to have you. She makes this wonderful stuffing and my big sister bring lots and lots of pies because we all have a sweet tooth. And I have the cutest niece, she's an angel. You'll see." Leslie said with one breath, eager to make Leah smile. She seemed so lonely and sad.

"Hmm, well, I was thinking to go back to my hometown. To visit my mother." Leah answered, trying to conceal her nostalgia. She had a big fight twenty years ago and left Forks without a second glance. The only form of communication she shared with her mother were the yearly holiday cards they sent each other. So when her birthday passed last month with nothing coming from her mother, Leah worried. And pushing her pride to the side, she decided for once, go back home to visit. She didn't know if her mother would even greet her but she had to try. It had been twenty years after all.

"Really? And where's your hometown? We moved here from Wisconsin, because after Dad accident, Mom wanted to move closer to my sister. You know, to keep an eye and to help her. Then she married and my niece was born, so I guess we're stuck here, not that I mind because I have Ralph." Leslie got the dreamy look as soon as she mentioned her boyfriend.

Leah, tired of hearing about the never-ending list of qualities young Ralph possessed, rolled her eyes and directed her attention to the road. It was raining cats and dogs, and she wouldn't be surprised if even whales were falling from the sky if you asked her. Leslie kept droning on and on about her wonderful boyfriend, completely unaware of Leah's lack of attention.

Suddenly, a pair of lights came out of nowhere, and Leah barely managed to avoid the other car.

"Jesus! Is he crazy?" Leslie shouted. Maybe she wasn't so unaware. "I'm so glad you're so skilled and avoided him."

What Leah didn't avoid was the car behind her which lost control trying to avoid the first one. It bumped Leah's on the back, pushing her out of the highway, right into the ravine.

Leah tried to maneuver, to get the car to stop, while Leslie was screaming in fear. But the rain wasn't helping. Leah could barely see what was in front of her, only the sound of twigs and branches crashing to the car was guiding her.

Soon, the car crashed into something. Leah's head hit the steering wheel, the windshield broke and another branch got inside and hit her again.

It took her a minute to recover. She could barely feel anything below the chest.

"Uh?" Leah turned around, finding Leslie unconscious. Carefully with her left hand, she tried to open her window, to assess the damage. The view she was granted almost made her cry. Her car was about to fall to the precipice, only being held back by the branch coming through the windshield.

Desperate, she tried to pull out from the safety belt. But her hands got bloodied... sinking on her belly. Leah wanted to cry. By her side, Leslie was recovering. She had a nasty gash on the head.

"Leslie! Can you move?" Leah whispered, scared to move or shake.

"Eh?" Leslie looked at Leah.

"Hun, I need you to try to open your door. Do you hear me? I need you to leave the car." While she was pleading to Leslie, Leah was unfastening Leslie's belt. She could get out of this, maybe if Leah was lucky, bring help. Because let's face it, Leah was trapped inside the car. The fact that her hand got inside her guts and she didn't feel a thing was a clear sign that she could not get out of the car without help.

"Bu-u-ut..." Leslie finally gave a look at Leah's body. She was about to panic and Leah couldn't let it happen.

"Shh... Just open the door and get out. I'll be fine."

Leslie shook her head vigorously, and the car moved a bit...

"Leslie, I can't get out and as you can see, the car is about to fall. Do you want to help me?"

"Yes," Leslie whispered.

"Then get out fo here and bring help!" Leah shouted.

Finally, Leslie opened the door and jumped out, limping and screaming for help. Leah, she just sighed. It was just her luck. Well, if it had to be one of the two of them, Leslie had a lot to do. She was young and full of hopes for the future. Leah wasted her life and really, no one was waiting for her. It was easy to make the decision. Easier when you realized she was very hurt.

The car started to roll to the left, the branch that was supporting it was breaking.

Leah did the only thing she could... She prayed. She prayed for Leslie to find help soon and thanked God for the chance to live.


	2. Where am I?

Leah woke up, uncertain of where she was. She moved her arms, her legs. Everything was working fine. The place where she was laying was a dark room with a very comfortable bed. What was she doing before?

Oh, right. The car... the rain... She looked down and touched her abdomen, even lifting her top only to find her skin was flawless. Was the accident a dream?

"No, it was real." A hard, female voice echoed through the room, scaring Leah.

Leah stood up from the bed, and walked around, trying to find where she was. Because this place, it looks like nothing she'd ever seen. She walked from one point to another, just to find silence and nothing else. Just when she's about to cry in despair, the same voice calls her.

"Leah, welcome to the Limbo."

"The what? Does it mean that I... that I died?"

"Yes. But don't fret my dear." The voice was coming closer. "I'm here to help you. We're going to look over to your life, to see where do you belong."

The ominous tone which the voice used made Leah shivered. Was she a bad person?

"Tee-hee-hee." A chirpy voice was coming from behind. Leah jumped. "I know, I sound so scary when I want to. Let me introduce myself, I'm Alice." From between the shadows, a petite young woman appeared.

"Alice?" Leah asked, still confused about what this woman was or what were her intentions.

"Yeah, I'm your guide through this place that some call Purgatory, but here between us, I prefer 'Limbo'. It's such a catchy song!" Alice giggled and started to hum the song while shimmying her shoulders. Leah was more confused than ever.

"See, they used to think 'Purgatory' was a part of heaven, where people came to purify from their sins. But it really doesn't work like that. No, some people stay here forever! When all you have to do is to right your wrongs, close any matter you left pending before you died. So Leah Clearwater, let's see your life!"

Thousands of images from Leah's life appeared in the air, and Alice hummed in approval.

"You were a nice girl, with loving parents. Hmm, your father died when you were 12. But your mother was always there for you. What happened then? Oh..."

The images were displayed so fast that Leah found it difficult to keep up even if she knew what happened, but Alice had no problem following up with Leah's story.

"Oh, here started the problem, Sam Ulley. You two were engaged."

Leah nodded.

"Yeah, you were so in love, or that's what you thought."

"It was her fault."

"Hmm, not so sure about that. Emily was your cousin, right? Who lost her parents and came to live with your mother."

"Yes. She was helping me with the wedding. I thought we were friends."

"Until one day she came crying to you, she was pregnant and claimed Sam was the father."

Leah remembered like it was yesterday, she slapped Emily so hard and kicked Sam's ass. It didn't help to ease the pain. But the worst betrayal was yet to happen.

"Then your mother helped Emily..."

"It was unfair! She was supposed to be by my side!"

"Hmm, so you left. Never listening to what your mother had to say."

"Not for a while. I went back one day." Leah muttered, trying to not look to that part from her past.

Images passed. What broke the rest of Leah's heart was when they decided Sam had to marry Emily, using all of Leah's planning: little gifts, the flower arrangements, the food, and music. Worst, her own mother was there.

Leah left town the next day, she couldn't stay to attest the nuptials.

Images of Leah's struggle and loneliness came fast, making her wonder why after all her pain was she stuck in limbo.

"Perhaps because you didn't recover, you became bitter," Alice answered to her unspoken question.

Leah huffed, as she pushed the image of the day she came back for the holidays. Her own mother was hosting Emily's baby shower. "Wouldn't you?"

"Always seeing the glass half-empty."

Another set of images was displayed. Leah was really a lonely woman. Except for one...

"Wait!" Leah pleaded. The images passing by where for the only being that Leah truly loved. Waffle, her dog. One cute mutt about to be euthanized that captured Leah's heart. He became her only partner and the only ray of light in an usually dark life. Sadly, a year ago at the age of fourteen, Waffle passed away.

"Leah, you wasted your potential. You were a woman with so much to give and left that a little bump on the road derailed your life. Worst, you died never making amends with those who hurt you and that little detail it's what's keeping you stationed here."

Leah gasped. Her mother! Sure, they were distant after Leah broke all contact when she felt her mother chose Emily over her. Only those holiday cards letting each other know they were alive and well.

"Is she still alive?" Leah asked. Sure, they didn't talk over the years, but the notice of her daughter's demise would break her mother's heart, right?

"Nope. Sadly your mother passed away in June. If it makes you feel better, it was fast and she didn't suffer." Then the images of Leah's last day on Earth passed by. "Hmm, you were thinking to visit her? Oh, Leah, sorry but it was too late." Alice really felt bad for Leah, such a waste of life. Because she had a good heart, the way she helped Leslie to escape knowing she was about to die was a true testament of the goodness inside Leah.

"Ok, here is the deal. Leah, you were gifted with a good head on your shoulders, you are intelligent, witty, with a good dose of sarcasm. Your heart is pure gold but sadly you left one incident to consume your happiness, and in consequence, the happiness of those around you. Sure, your mother made mistakes, she's somewhere around here working on them. But right now, we have to work on yours."

Leah sighed. She was overwhelmed by so many emotions. She revived the pain of the betrayal. Now seeing Sam didn't spark a bit of emotion, but the hurt of seeing Emily's face, taking all that was supposed to be hers when all Leah did was to offer the most sincere friendship. Oh, and looking at her mother's eyes... it hurt but at the same time she felt so much love. She missed her so much!

"I know, I know. You're jumping from one emotion to another. It's pretty normal. Being confronted with your past is never easy. But let's focus on your present. Usually, people work on mending their mistakes, face their demons, and come to terms with the past. But with you, we have a little problem." Alice sat on the bed and twirled her finger, making the recollection of images disappear. "You can't mend your relationship with your mother so directly. And dealing with Sam is... well... I'm supposed to think everybody has a chance but Sam is one of those who won't even make a stop here. His place is... you know."

"So what now?" Leah asked, not having a clue of what Alice was about to ask her to do.

"This will be so fun! You, my friend, are commissioned on a mission. You are going to help to right one wrong." Alice was skipping her way to a window that appeared out of thin air. "Take a look over here."

Leah got closer, she was granted with the view of an office party. A streamer hanging from the ceiling proclaimed that it was the farewell for the team of interns while wishing them good luck.

"I'm supposed to help with some office? Am I supposed to go back to work?"

Alice turned to see Leah like she was crazy.

"No, look into that corner. See?"

Leah noticed a young couple arguing. Both were crying and seemed so hurt. Still, Leah didn't know what Alice was expecting from her.

"Ugh! You really are clueless. Leah, your mission is to bring those two back together. Isn't it wonderful?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we had a brief look at Leah's life. For the sake of this story, Sue won't be Leah's mother or related to her in any way. You'll see.
> 
> Let me know what you think.


	3. The mission

Leah noticed a young couple arguing. Both were crying and seemed so hurt. Still, Leah didn't know what Alice was expecting from her.  
"Ugh! You really are clueless. Leah, your mission is to bring those two back together. Isn't it wonderful?"  
"But how? I don't know anything about them. What if one of them hurt the other beyond the chance of forgiveness?" Leah certainly knew about it. She thought about Sam and Emily.  
"Pshh! I wouldn't subject you to something like that." Alice turned to Leah and hugged her. "Cheer up! These two, are meant to be together. Trust me."  
"But how am I going to help them? I mean, I'm here, like a ghost. and I don't know why they fought."  
"Leah, are you sure your name isn't Debby Downer? Jeez! Let's take a look at the complete scene, shall we?"  
The image changed to the young woman dancing to a different young man.  
"Ok, her name is Isabella Swan, but everybody calls her Bella. She just got her Bachelor in library science and was an intern at the archive in the company."  
Leah noticed how the man was trying to get closer to Bella but she swiftly pushed him away.  
"Why is she dancing with that man?"  
"Hmm, she was obligated since she doesn't want to be rude. Maybe you need a bit more information. See that old lady standing at the back? She's Bella's boss, Mrs. Cope. She's planning to retire in March, letting that blond girl," Alice pointed to a blond dancing with another young man, "Kate to take her place. Then, they offered Bella to take Kate's job. So Bella feels she needs to keep a good relationship with everyone in the company."  
"Oh."  
Then, the man that was arguing with Bella appeared. He was furious by the scene.  
"He's Edward Cullen. Recently graduated too, but he got his degree in Computer science. He got his internship at the IT department. And he really doesn't like to find his girlfriend dancing with that man, who by the way, is named Michael."  
"Do you mind if I cut in?" Edward interrupted the awkward dance between Bella and Michael.  
"Uh, hmm, well, if the lady doesn't mind..." Michael was at a loss for words.  
Edward didn't wait for an answer and took Bella, his girlfriend of the past two years, between his arms. He was tired of this. 'Oh, Michael is harmless', Sure he was. Fucker always was looking at her like she was a steak. And don't get him started with the way they were dancing. Bella was swaying from side to side, pushing Michael's eager hands to avoid to touch him.  
"I told you, he's nothing. A nuisance." Bella pleaded.  
"A nuisance that sent me a text... from your phone." Edward stopped and got his cell out of his pocket. "Let's see: 'I'll be late to the party. Mrs. Cope brought us cake.' So excuse me if I'm angry. Tell me, did the both of you laugh when you wrote it?" He said glaring at her.  
"Why is he so angry?" Leah asked.  
"Because Michael has been trying to get Bella since she started the internship. Whenever Bella feels uncomfortable with Michael's attention he claims he just wants to be her friend. He really is a piece of work, taking Bella's phone from her pocket and sending that text. He knows they've been together for two years, that they live together, still... and Bella doesn't think Michael has bad intentions. Well, now she does."  
Bella gasped. "How could you think I would... You, you don't trust me?"  
"I always trusted you, yet, I came to find you dancing happily in his arms. Meanwhile, we were supposed to arrive together, so tell me why didn't you wait for me?"  
"I... I..."  
"You forgot!"  
"No! It wasn't like that!" She was on the verge of tears. Who could he misconstrue an innocent gesture? Suddenly, she remembered something. There was a reason why she didn't go for him immediately. "I got an envelope." She said while Edward stood still glaring. "From the LA office."  
Now it was Edward's turn to pale.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Bella pleaded.  
"Because it wasn't important." He shrugged his shoulders.  
"You receive the job offer of your dreams and think that it isn't important?"  
"It isn't important because I rejected it. I'm not going."  
Bella gasped. "But your worked your ass for that offer!"  
Leah turned to look at Alice, "Why did he keep that from her?"  
"Because they had such big plans for the future. Edward was planning to propose this Christmas, but if Bella found out that Edward received a job offer from the LA office, paying him to get his masters while working part time... well, she would never let him decline the offer. She would feel like a burden to him."  
"Why?" Leah didn't see the problem. They just needed to talk about it.  
"It doesn't matter."  
"Of course it matters, it's about your future."  
Edward answered her with an exasperated smile. "My future? I always thought it was about OUR future. But I'm beginning to see, that maybe it's JUST MY future, right?"  
Then they began to shout at each other and Alice closed the window.  
"So you see, they never betrayed the other, they only had a simple miscommunication problem. Easy right? Do you think you could get them together by Christmas?"  
"Are you crazy?"  
Alice sighed, perhaps she needed to explain a bit more to Leah. "Look, how could I explain it? Everything is intertwined. So those two breaking up," she pointed to where the window was, "it will set up a chain of events that will hurt more than just them. Besides, that couple, what they have is true everlasting love. Separated, they will be miserable. They are soulmates. So it's very important to get them back together."  
"By Christmas?"  
"Yeah, well... you need to know a bit more about them. Bella, she comes from a little town named Forks. Her father is the police chief. She has an older brother too. Anyway, her parents divorced, Bella and her brother moved with their mother and long story short she almost never comes back to Forks. Then we have Edward, his father is... well, he's some kind of inventor. They lived in Chicago happily until Dad and his partner created this stain remover 'Now you see me'... " Leah nodded, she remembered watching the infomercial on those sleepless nights. " Well, they did a fortune and moved out to Forks so Dad could build a larger lab. His father almost had a heart attack when he found out Edward didn't choose the same career path as him so they have a rocky relationship too."  
Leah was nodding, absorbing all the information Alice provided. "So they met in Forks."  
"No, and this is so funny and interesting. Bella doesn't like to visit her father. She finds Forks boring and he's always busy. And Edward's family moved when he finished high school. so no, they met at college. But it's funny how their paths were meant to cross, right?"  
Leah still didn't understand why the hurry.  
"Oh, you're not funny Leah. The hurry is because of Esme Cullen, Edward's mother, has this gigantic Christmas ball/party at her house every year. People come from out of town, the local newspaper takes pictures of the event, big hoopla that everybody in town comments through the year. And Carlisle Cullen plans to give this big announcement this year. So they need to be together, to present a united front to whatever Carlisle plans to announce, which nobody knows because he's that secretive but he expects everybody to follow." Alice shook her head. "No wonder why Edward doesn't like to go back home."  
"Oh, ok. I think I'm beginning to understand. So I approach them and convince them to talk. Maybe guide them through the conversation. A piece of cake." Leah smiled.  
"Hmm, well, you see..." Alice replayed the last part of the couple's argument when they began to shout at each other. "See these shadows behind them."  
Alice pointed to a dark gray blurred mass. Then she whispered something that Leah didn't understand, making the blur disappear. There were a man and a woman whispering to Bella and Edward!  
"Who are they?" Leah was shocked.  
"They're like our counterpart. We, Uhm... fix things and they mess with them. Each one sort of has a specialty. The blond man whispering to Edward, he's Caius. He loooves to feed rage and destruction. The red headed woman, Victoria, she feeds on arrogance and here between us, I think she hates all males."  
"Really?" Leah couldn't fathom why someone could harbor so much hate as to spread it around.  
"And that's why you will work on fixing, my dear Leah. Now, where do you want to start?"  
Leah looked again at the couple. Edward probably was still enraged, maybe it would be easier to start with Bella.  
"Well, think of her and you will appear there. Good luck! Call me if you need me!"  
xxx  
Alice still kept an eye on Leah, when a male voice got closer.  
"Trying to get points at your boss' birthday?"  
Those blond curls, the southern accent... she was used to dealing with him and his minions.  
"You know that isn't important, Jasper. We all rejoice the same every day."  
"Hmm, and where are you going to explain why she was chosen for this particular case?" He asked with a mischievous smile.  
"Soon. First, she has to understand what is she doing."


	4. It ain't easy

A week had passed and Leah was desperate. Her attempts to get Bella or Edward to listen to her weren't working and despite knowing she was supposed to be the better one, those other shadowy beings were getting on her nerves. And all she could was recall each try... as she cried to Alice, begging for help...

 

xxx

 

Leah managed to reach Bella after she left Seattle. Alice was kind enough to show her how to open a window to the past, so Leah witnessed how Bella cried her heart out the whole night through after breaking up with Edward, waiting for him coming back or at least a phone call that never came. She watched as Bella shrunk every time that Victoria whispered how Edward probably already moved on, that there were eager girls to pick him up and that she should do the same. The next morning, Bella finally reached a decision, she called her brother Emmett who whole-heartedly offered her a room at his apartment. After an argument with the airline, Bella found a flight to Atlanta, where Emmett lived, but she had to leave immediately. She packed her clothes and the few knick knacks she couldn't leave behind, and with a last glance to the apartment, she left.

 

The next morning, Bella finally reached a decision, she called her brother Emmett who whole-heartedly offered her a room at his apartment. After an argument with the airline, Bella found a flight to Atlanta, where Emmett lived, but she had to leave immediately. She packed her clothes and the few knick knacks she couldn't leave behind, and with a last glance to the apartment, she left.

 

x

 

The moment Emmett saw her, he opened his arms and Bella jumped into him. He was her rock, always being there for her. The same as Bella was there for him.

 

"Shh, shh. It's fine Bells. Everything will be fine. You're here with me."

 

xxx

 

Edward wasn't faring that well either.

 

After breaking up with Bella, he went to one of the bathroom stalls to cry. Still feeling heartbroken, he decided to leave and drown his sorrows in alcohol. The little bar at the end of the street was open and cheap. The perfect recipe for him.

 

He drank a few beers and talked to Benny, the barman who listened gladly to the young man woes. A few patrons listened and offered advice, feeling sorry for the young brokenhearted man. He gained the sympathy of the rest of the patrons and it made him feel better. At least until...

 

"Yeah, right. The suite with the mirror on the ceiling. Of course, I want to watch while I'm... No, it isn't that kind of date. Listen, Bert, I've been waiting to nail this girl for months! I finally got my chance because she broke up with her idiot boyfriend. Yeah, the fucker was crying for Christ sake! It's just a girl!" Michael Newton knew how to make an entrance. He was laughing at what his friend was saying, unaware of the deathly glare Edward was throwing at him. "Whatever you have in the tab." He ordered to Benny and continued with his conversation. "Yeah, of course, I played the pathetic friend card. She's one of those who doesn't want to be rude. Yeah. It worked out. She never saw it coming. all I have to do now is call her tomorrow and play the sympathetic friend who would listen to her woes. Yeah, I think two or three days. After that night are you saying? No, as soon as I tap it I'm leaving. After all, she was one intern and the program it's over. I don't want to see her again after that."

 

Benny the barman just whispered to Edward if that was the prick and Edward nodded. Benny spat to the drink and gave it to Michael who didn't notice.

 

Edward jut grew angrier with each word the asshole was saying, and the alcohol didn't help to calm him either. He got closer to Michael who was now describing Bella's silhouette to his friend.

 

"And I'm so going to bury my face into those puppies..."

 

"Hey, asshole!" Edward called. Michael turned, and Edward punched him, erasing that smug smile from his face.

 

The other patrons cheered Edward as he pummeled into Michael...

 

x

 

Edward woke up the next day on the couch of his boss, Garrett.

 

"What happened?" He asked. He felt the telltale signs of a hangover, his hands were bloodied and his torso ached too.

 

"Good morning Rocky!" Garrett's beaming smile and loud voice confused Edward more.

 

"You're so lucky everybody hates Michael. When the police arrived, they all were fast to say he threw the first punch. I guess he won't be smiling for a while. You took a few teeth out of him. Benny picked them up for good luck, crazy bloke. Here, take this, it's my mother's recipe, great for people in your state." He offered Edward a glass of some dark juice.

 

"Thanks? What did I do? Oh, my hands hurt."

 

"You kicked out of Michael's ass. Well done." Garrett patted Edward's lap.

 

"Did I call Bella? You know, to warn her."

 

"Hmm, well. That guy, Michael, took your phone and smashed it against the floor. I think that's when you kicked his balls, or maybe when he said you were jealous? Anyway, I called kate, and she promised to get in touch with Bella. Hey, your hands are pretty swollen, maybe we should go to the hospital."

 

xxx

 

Leah had her first taste on communicating with Bella when she made her listen to her phone messages. The first point to Leah, yey! Or so, she thought.

 

Bella felt the need to see if Edward called back. Something in her mind made her wonder. What did he think when he found out she left? Did it bother him? Did it matter to him?

 

She picked up the phone to find she had seventy-five messages. All from Kate and Mrs. Cope, who were urging Bella to call them. She checked twice, but there was none of whom she wanted to hear. Could a heart break more than once in the space of five days? Bella decided to answer them. A succinct message stating she was at Atlanta with her brother and that she was fine. Then she turned off her phone and hid it inside a drawer. Yeah, no more heartbreak today.

 

Leah wanted to cry, whispering to her to call them, but Bella had enough and left her room. Maybe a walk trough the neighborhood would lift her spirits.

 

xx

 

Leah was desperate, so the tried to get the phone where Bella could find it. Forcing her to think about calling Kate or, maybe even Edward. But someone got to the phone first.

 

"Are you looking for this?" That blond guy, Caius, was playing with the phone, throwing it up, so high Leah couldn't reach it.

 

"Stop it." Leah jumped, but Caius was faster. She tried to tickle him, but the man was immune. Quite the opposite from her. Leah giggled and rolled screaming Uncle! until Caius stopped with the tickles.

 

"You know, our job has been so easy. These two are the most gullible people ever. And then, they send you, the worst rookie I've ever seen. You couldn't even get a hold of a simple phone, lest convince that girl to make a call."

 

As Caius was teasing her, Leah gathered some confidence. She ran and tackled Caius, who threw the phone to the wall, breaking it in pieces.

 

"Oops!" He cackled and disappear.

 

Leah picked up the pieces, sighing, leaving them over the same drawer, so Bella could notice the phone was broke. The blurry things one- Leah zero.

 

xx

 

Five days without a word from Kate or Bella. Edward was tired, you can't imagine the pain he felt when he came home, still drowsy because of the pain killers, to find Bella took her things and left. At least Michael would never have the chance to put his filthy claws of her.

 

He still had to get to the mall, he needed a new phone, what if Bella was calling him? But his head was throbbing...

 

A call made to his house phone made him stop.

 

"Hi, Eddie! I heard about your new job offer. Congratulations! Why don't you and Bella come here? You know, stay a few days, go to the interview. You and Bella can stay here, I'm barely home ever, but for you two, I'll make an effort. By the way, your mother called me wondering when I would be coming to Forks for her Christmas party. Are you still planning to propose there? Call me and tell me your plans. I'll be waiting for it. Ciao!"

 

Edward sighed. His cousin Rosalie... she was almost like a sister to him, his other confidant besides Bella. Bella who didn't care enough to make a call to see if he was fine after fighting for her honor... That's when he decided to make a call.

 

"Hey, Rose? Hi, it's Edward. Are you going to be at your home tomorrow? Are you on vacation? Perfect! I think I need to check this job offer, LA seems very interesting to me right now."

 

x

 

"So, what's going to happen? I'm a complete failure that didn't even manage to keep her charges in the same place!"

 

"Oh, Leah! You have so much to learn. Sometimes a straight line isn't the most direct path. They need the distance to think."

 

"Could we lock those two in a room and force them to talk?"

 

Alice smiled. "It would be fruitless unless they are ready to talk. Leah, humans have the gift of choice. One could advise them, give them hints of the best course of action but in the end, is their choice."

 

Leah pouted. "Could we show them the outcome if they choose the wrong path?"

 

"No. Either way, they won't believe it if they aren't ready. Listen, if you find it difficult to communicate or get your point across with Bella and Edward, my little piece of advice is to focus your efforts on convincing Emmett and Rosalie. Bella is quite stubborn, and at this point, she may only listen to Emmett advice. And don't let me start on Edward, Rosalie always finds a way to make him see the light. They are like their personal Jiminy Cricket."

 

Leah nodded, thinking about a different way to get closer to them.

 

"Oh, and a little hint. Watch out for Bella's mood changes. She's more hormonal than usual." And with a wink, Alice left.


	5. I'll be alright without you

"Oh, and a little hint. Watch out for Bella's mood changes. She's more hormonal than usual." And with a wink, Alice left.

"What the... what did she mean?" Leah was speechless.

xxx

Emmett's concern was growing. Don't get him wrong, he loved to have his sister living with him. The worst part of moving to Atlanta was the distance between them so having her staying at his apartment made him feel complete somehow. Sharing his day with her, hearing her opinion was a welcomed addition. Coming home from work to a clean house with a recently cooked meal was heavenly too. But watching Bella's despair was breaking his heart.

When she arrived and poured her heart out to him, his first reaction was the need to chase Edward to kick his ass. He met the guy a couple of times and he thought he was one of the good guys. He seemed so in love with her, he even asked for his blessing... So as the days went by, Emmett began to analyze the reasons for their breaking up, and he came to the conclusion that it was a simple misunderstanding that both let to escalate. That they could and probably should talk.

But knowing Bella, she would never take the first step. She still hasn't replaced her phone, scared to find that Edward didn't call. Absurd, really. So Emmett called Edward, thinking he would be less reluctant to talk but he never answered. Emmett found it weird that he couldn't reach him on the house phone, and that his cell phone mailbox was full. Emmett then focused on try to cheer up Bella, which turned out to be a complete waste of time.

She spent all the time inside the apartment, only leaving to the grocery store. She was putting on weight, but Emmett knew to not touch that subject, to avoid it at all costs because he valued his life. Oh, and the mood swings. Bella started to cry out of nothing only to end in an angry rant against the human males, except sweet Emmett as she always apologized.

But today when he came home to find Bella bawling to the end of 'Blade Runner' because Edward loved that movie, he knew the situation was out of control. He needed reinforcements. So he made the call...

"Mom. I don't know what else to do. She's still desolated."

"Oh, sweetheart I know. I talked to her this morning. Are you still planning to stay home for Christmas? Because I think she could use another change of scenery. Besides, I miss the two of you so much. You know I don't mind using Phill contacts to get you last minute plane tickets"

"Well," Emmett thought if he finished that last report he could take off a couple of days earlier, "I could negotiate it to make it tomorrow my last day at work until January."

"Then considered it done. Let it all in Mommy's hands. I'll call you with the details of your flight. Pack your things, Phill will be so happy to see you."

Emmett hoped a few days with their mother would help. He still felt that sometimes there was nothing as comforting as your own mother arms.

"Have you call Edward again?"

"No."

"Try again, please. Maybe he is less stubborn than your sister."

So Emmett called to Edward's phone once again, only to hang up when a female voice answered.

xxx

When Rosalie opened the door to her cousin, her first reaction was to squeeze him. He was the closest she had to a brother. The only one in the family that she was in touch constantly.

The second reaction was to ask about Bella, only to see Edward wince in pain. Uh oh, trouble in paradise.

But the third one, the more serious, was when she noticed he drove all the way from Seattle with his hands bandaged.

"Edward! What happened? Are you fine?" She pushed him inside her house, carefully trying to fix his bandage.

"I was involved in some kind of scuffle." He muttered wincing in pain.

"I see. Well, I guess my plans for a night out clubbing are out of the question."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, I don't feel like partying, not only because of the hands." Then he proceeded to explain his argument with Bella, finishing with how he took out his anger by kicking Michael's ass. Rosalie noticed how underneath Edward's laugh as he recalled the fight, he was a broken man without Bella.

xxx

Unlike Bella, Edward decided to set all his energy in getting the best results on the job interview. Sure, he didn't want to take it. The job offer didn't mean a thing if it meant leaving Bella behind, but now... The last he knew about her was that she went away with her brother, but she wasn't talking to Kate either. Well, good for her. If she decided to leave without giving him a second thought... he was going to do exactly the same. But he was just kidding himself. He just tried to get distracted to not wallow in his misery.

The first part of the interview was a set of tests, which Edward excelled. Now he was scheduled to one more interview the next day, with the head managers of the project. But he wasn't excited at all.

"I'm going out for a walk." He yelled from the door, while Rosalie nodded, hoping her cousin finally managed to get out of his somber mood.

Rosalie was busy giving the final touches to a set of pictures she planned to give as Christmas gifts but she was having trouble concentrating. The more she thought on the way Edward and Bella broke up, the more she was sure it was just a little misunderstanding. From what Edward told her, she could easily relate to Bella. How she didn't want to be rude, falling right into that other guy plans, but at the same time feel betrayed because Edward didn't tell her. At least Edward admitted he should have mentioned the job offer to Bella.

Edward's phone beeped, and Rosalie sighed. He was so distracted, leaving his phone behind.

"Hello... Hi?" Nobody answered and they ended the call.

xxx

Leah was banging her head against the wall. Christmas was a week away and she wasn't making any progress. Worst, she was worried she was driving Bella crazy. Between her interference and then Victoria trying to influence Bella's actions, the poor woman was almost insane. Leah was one second almost shouting on victory when Bella was about to relinquish and call Edward only to bang her head against the wall when Victoria and her anti-male speech convinced Bella that she was better off alone.

And Alice wasn't of any help.

"Leah, you aren't looking at the bigger picture. There's something else going on that will help you if you know how to use it. Really, think about it. At least now they're going with Renee. Maybe with her help, you can convince Bella to talk to him. And how are things going on with Edward?"

"Well, you know I'm watching him too..."

Xxx

The interview was over and Edward was exhausted. They grilled and questioned, making him sweat sometimes, but overall, he believed he had a good chance.

He walked the two blocks of buildings and stored to the little bistro where Rosalie was waiting for him. She insisted they needed to celebrate no matter the outcome, but Edward knew it was one of the ways she had to lift his spirits.

He went inside, to find her already seated, much to the hostess chagrin. She was hoping to chat with the handsome man with the sad smile.

"So how did it go?"

"Very well, I guess. They really questioned me on the projects I worked and made correct a little program just to see if I found where the problem was and knew how to fix it."

"But you don't look happy."

Edward tried, only to grant Rosalie with the weirdest and most pathetic excuse of a smile.

"I'm happy... Well, no. I don't think I can accept the job. It's a seven-year compromise. Two to get my masters while working part-time and five more to work the complete shift." Edward buried his face in his hands. "I don't know if I can commit, not while I'm..."

"Not while you aren't sure where do you stand with Bella." Rosalie completed his phrase. She noticed that the man seated in the next booth was pretty interested in their conversation.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Why don't you try to talk to her?" She asked, patting his hand. She wished he would let her have a few words with Bella, maybe if they talked from woman to woman, they would reach some sort of agreement. They were pretty serious if Edward was planning to propose to let it go for a little misunderstanding.

Edward mumbled something.

"What?"

"I already did it. I called but she never answered. What if she doesn't want to talk to anymore?"

"What if she forgot her phone? You know, you are leaving it all over the house because your head is in another place."

Edwar shrugged his shoulders, "What if she already moved on? If she gave up on us?"

Rosalie hugged him, poor heartbroken fool!

"Excuse me, are you Edward Cullen?" The man from the other booth asked, coming to stand to Edward's side. "I'm sorry for being so forward, I'm James Hunter, I was part of the panel who interviewed you at the Volturi Inc. offices."

"Oh," Edward composed his face, "Please take a seat."

"I don't want to impose, just thought to give you a few words of advice. I couldn't help but listen that you're indecisive about our job offer."

Rosalie didn't like the guy. Sure, he had the look of a wealthy businessman, but there was something... maybe that wolfish smile, or the fact that his teeth were too white.

"Look, yeah it's a long time commitment, but the benefits... I'm sure they explained them to you, but only the basics. Imagine your own office with an assistant after those seven years..." James looked to Edward first, then turned and winked to Leah who just gasped. He was one of the minions! And he just showed himself to the humans! She didn't know it was possible. Here she was, just a mere spectator...

"Well, it sounds really interesting but..." Edward muttered

"No, it's just the beginning. Each year they offer a bonus according to your productivity, here between us, this year I got $20,000. Imagine all the things you could buy to your beautiful girlfriend."

Rosalie scoffed. "Really, money, the salary isn't what is troubling him. And I'm his cousin."

"Oh, but there are more benefits. The possibilities to climb the corporate ladder... They get the executives houses in the most exclusive areas."James got closer to Edward to whisper "and the women at the corporative parties... I'm sure they would be very pleasant to a young man like you."

James, thinking he did the best to encourage Edward to accept the job and stay in LA, smiled to him to say "Think about it, I'm sure you'll be hearing from us soon."

He mistook his silence as acceptance never realizing how he lost Edward's attention when he mentioned other women. So when he passed in front of Leah, he winked and said "This is how it's done, rookie. Did you find the reason they chose you for this case?"

"Meh, we are all from Forks. Big deal."

James left, but Leah kept watching because she wanted to find out Edward's reaction to James' rant.

"I don't like the guy. He seemed pretty interested on getting you to accept the job." Rosalie said.

"Well, it's really a very good job offer... and the only one I have," Edward answered. He wondered what he could do if he didn't accept the job. Where to go?

"Hmm, is it about the money? You know if you were desperate you can work with your father."

Edward looked at Rosalie as she was crazy.

"Ok, that isn't an option. But then tell me, what did you think when that guy mentioned the bonus?"

Edward looked down to his plate. "Bella needs to replace her car. That thing is falling to pie..."

Rosalie nodded. "Exactly, and when he mentioned the house?"

Edward sighed. "Bella and maybe a kid? We talked about having two kids, and a dog and a cat. We both love animals, so maybe a fish too."

"See? You are still planning your future with her by your side. I'm not an expert on relationships, but I think you only had a little misunderstanding, a bump in the road. I'm sure if you both sit and talk about it, you can solve it. You can be together again."

"I'm not sure she wants to talk with me."

Rosalie winked at him. "I think I may have a plan. Give me her phone number, or her brother's one? He may be angry with you but he doesn't know me."

xxx


	6. Rocky road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. For this chapter I want you to picture Shemar Moore from Criminal Minds as Laurent ;) I'll let you to it...

The flight to Phoenix was interesting.

Bella was tired and she couldn't figure why. Seriously, she passed the last month watching TV on Emmett's couch, only cleaning or cooking to feel she wasn't a burden. There wasn't a reason to feel tired, alas, she felt like she ran a marathon. But now they were finally up in the plane.

All the excitement of visiting Renee flew through the window when she found out that a tall woman was seated to her right. She was hoping to sit by the window to watch the sky before falling asleep, but they were lucky enough to find tickets so quickly, she shouldn't be so picky. Poor Emmett who was a big guy offered to change seats with her, but he needed the space. At least he could stretch his legs to the hallway.

"Please fasten your seatbelt." One brunette flight attendant asked in an extremely polite way in her opinion.

Emmett was giggling and Bella elbowed him.

"Stop flirting with the girl!" She whispered-yelled, only to find Emmett burst out laughing.

"Oh no. She seemed interested in someone else." He wiggled his brows, finding it funny that the girl preferred Bella, but she misunderstood again. Seriously, she had a lot of image issues.

Bella turned to see the tall woman thinking Emmett was talking about her. She was a red-head with big sunglasses, very pretty, but seemed a bit arrogant. Bella decided to leave her alone and try to sleep but then she turned to look at Bella and smiled.

Fifteen minutes into the flight, the woman was chatting Bella's ear off. She said Bella looked sad and somehow managed to get the scoop on her and Edward's breakup. The woman obviously sided with her and was giving what one could consider sage advice for a breakup if only a bit harsh against Edward. Then she began to tell Bella her story, ignoring Emmett who was acting like he was sleeping and snoring loudly.

"I told him 'You won't hold me down' and of course I broke things up with him. And now look at me. I'm the general manager of our little marketing business. So don't let a man and his misguided ambitions to stop you. You're a bright, independent woman."

Bella was nodding, but truly she disagreed with the woman. Bella noticed that despite being extremely beautiful, she was so bitter against men that she looked bad. It was impossible she was happy at all. Bella then realized that if she didn't get out of her funk she could end up like this woman and shivered.

Leah stuck out her tongue to Victoria, happy to strike back for once.

xxx

"Mooom!" Bella yelled once she found her mother and Phill waiting for them. She ran and hugged her tightly.

"I missed you so much. Let me see you, baby." Renee released Bella to look at her, there was something... "Sweetie, are you sure you're fine?"

Bella nodded. "Now that we're here, I feel better."

Victoria passed by saying Goodbye to Bella, who only waved back. Renee didn't like it a bit.

"Baby, is that woman a friend of yours?"

"Oh no, she was seated beside me."

"Oh Mom, if you only listened to her. That woman is so bitter she would make a lemon cry." Emmett said laughing at his own lame joke.

Renee shook her head. "Don't listen to that woman, her aura is so... black."

Bella laughed at her mother, she missed her quirks.

xxx

Their stay at Renee's house was like going back in time. Emmett teased Bella which in turn made her chase him through the house, squealing with joy when she managed to reach him to give him a wet willy. Renee found it hilarious and comforting. She was able to have a heart to heart with Bella, only to agree with Emmett that she needed to talk to Edward and fight for what they had. She also noted something more and wasn't sure how to bring it up with Bella... but that would explain why she was so moody and had that glow.

Leah felt relieved. Renee was extremely perceptive. Not only she knew when not to push and when just let Bella cry her heart out. She also noticed when Victoria, Caius, and one other girl came to whisper to Bella. Renee was fast to let Bella out of the room claiming it was too stuffy. But she accomplished to get Bella out of their influence. So now, Leah was free to focus on getting Edward on track.

xxx

"But are you sure you can get her there?" Rosalie was speaking with someone and didn't want Edward to hear, not until she gets a definitive answer from that person.

Edward was pacing close to Rosalie's balcony, eavesdropping wasn't his thing but once he heard his name...

"Of course he will be there! Yeah, he doesn't get along with his father, but the party is entirely his mother's business, so he will go to get her happy. Yeah. Are you sure your father won't mind? Really? Ok. Then I'll call you back with the date we'll be arriving, but it has to be before the party. Sure. Take care, see you." Rosalie hung up, happy with the way her plan was unraveling.

She called Emmett Swan. Once she explained who she was and why she was calling, he was very welcoming. Apparently, Bella wasn't faring well either. So Emmett agreed with her to set up Bella and Edward and force them to talk. Of course, the plan could backfire but Rosalie was an optimist. Those two clearly loved each other and only needed a push in the right direction.

After discussing it with Emmett's mother, they decided the best course of action was to make them talk in a neutral setting. So Renee suggested Forks. Charlie would welcome Bella and Emmett with open arms, and their visit came handy as Charlie broke his leg while on duty, so he needed the support too. And well, Rosalie wasn't lying when she said Esme was waiting for them, she was anxious that Edward would miss the party again despite his promises of coming. More than two birds killed with one stone.

xxx

Leah was freaking out. Forks! Sure, she wanted to get her charges back together, but going back to Forks... and she didn't mind to made it known to Alice.

"I can't go back there. What if I see Emily? And now that my mother is gone... It will hurt."

"But you were planning to go back, what changed?"

"I wanted to mend things with my mother, but with her gone, I don't have a reason to go back. I don't know what I would do if I see Sam."

Alice tapped her finger on her chin. Well, maybe it was time to let Leah deal with her other pending business. Well, Leah should start with the easiest one, because if this was her reaction she would never agree to the last part of her mission. The ultimate reason why she was picked for this. But first, they had to deal with Sam.

"What are you afraid of? Are you really scared to see Sam? I told you he isn't a good person. I shouldn't say this, but he's scum."

Leah shrugged her shoulders. She didn't sign for this.

"But you know this is an unresolved business you have to settle, right? Remember, to leave limbo behind, you need to get closure, face your demons."

Leah sighed but wasn't convinced.

"Ok, let's start with the easy one. I will let you see how Sam is faring. I'm sure once you see what have become of him, you will let your anger toward him go."

Alice opened a window to a dingy shed. The scene unfolded as a bald fat man opened the door, in sweats and a dirty wife beater. He was scratching his belly and grumbling.

"That, my dear Leah, is Sam."

"What happened to him? Where is he?"

"Well, after Emily dumped him, he shacked up with another young lady. Soon she got pregnant but this time Sam knew to not marry her and escaped before her family forced him to become responsible for the child. He's been hiding from his creditors too because he wasn't been capable of keeping a job for more than three months. Leah you have to face it, he wanted to marry you because you would be his sugar mama. You were his dream come true: responsible, stable and utterly gullible."

Leah swallowed bile. She wanted to cry, to hit something...

"But he loved me!"

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure he understands the concept of love. He's truly a selfish man, only looking out for his benefit. Do you think Emily was the first girl he used to cheat on you?"

Leah wasn't used to receiving tough love and in her rage, she made the little shed where Sam was living shake breaking its windows.

Alice shook her head. It could be worst. She heard some others when facing their past tried to murder the one who hurt them. And the clock was ticking, time to move on.

"Look, in a way, Emily did you a favor. You dodged a..."

"Don't tell me that! She broke my trust! I was there to support her when she was depressed. I offered my sincere friendship, and that's how she paid me."

"If it makes you feel better, she paid it with interest. Life with Sam wasn't the fairytale you hoped for."

"Can we look into her life?" Leah pleaded, still unsure if that was what she really wanted.

"Not now. Honestly, Leah, you aren't in the right frame of mind to face Emily yet. But later, whether you like it or not, you'll have to. I'll only say that life was very difficult for her."

"Fair enough." Leah acquiesced. "So, I have to convince Edward to get to Forks."

Alice giggled. "While you were freaking out, Rosalie did your job. They're already on the way."

xxx

"Oh, come on! You're joking!" Edward exclaimed. He was driving the last leg of the trip for the day, making it up to Chico not leaving the state yet. That's where Rosalie found a nice hotel.

"No! I swear! I have the pictures to prove it. Your father transforms into a laughing mess once he gets drunk. That's why Esme keeps watching him."

"The man is so infuriating when sober. Perhaps it would be better to get him drunk before mentioning my intentions with Bella."

Rosalie beamed. Once Edward caught her calling Emmett, he forced her to explain her plan. It was an easy one. Both were suffering, both needed to talk. The result of that conversation was up to Edward and Bella but at least they would get closure, though Rosalie and Emmett were hopeful for a happy ending. Now, hearing Edward still planning to get back with Bella made Rosalie a very happy woman.

"I'm so glad. Now park over there. That's the hotel."

"It looks a bit... and you're..." Edward was a loss of words. The hotel wasn't as comfortable as he expected from Rosalie.

"I know how much we're draining your savings account. After all is said and done, I want you to have something saved to not base your future decisions on money." With that, she opened the door fo the car and walked to the little motel at the side of the road. They still had a long day of driving tomorrow.

xxx

They stopped at a little gas station. Edward was getting nervous and he drank four cups of coffee so he had been peeing all the way.

"I told you to take it easy. We need to get to Forks first. I'm going for some chips. I think I'm getting hungry, do you want something?" Rosalie asked Edward who declined her offer.

A beautiful blond woman and a dark-skinned man were standing to the side of a car with smoke coming out of the hood. They waved to Edward.

"Hey! Can you help us please?"

xxx

One hour on the road and Rosalie was pulling her hair. What were they thinking?

Irina and Laurent, their new travel partners until Redding, were a different kind of couple. After Irina told them their story (that the car broke and the tow truck wouldn't pick it until late at night and they needed to get to Redding) in a very throaty voice, Edward agreed to give them a ride. It was very chilly around there and the little gas station was just in the middle of nowhere.

So, they picked up their luggage and drove. Once inside the heated car, Irina and Laurent lost their coats. Normal, right? Well, Irina was wearing the tightest top where her very prominent breasts were almost on full display. Rosalie looked at Edward who just noticed the same and blushed, turning his sight to the road. But Laurent wasn't any different. His t-shirt was almost painted on, revealing his broad shoulders, a muscular chest and the tiniest peek of a very sexy tattoo.

Rosalie was flushed, but it was fine. As long as she kept her sight on the road.

Because of the weather, they were listening to a local radio station. They were regaled with pop hits from the eighties and nineties and everybody was pleased. George Michael's 'Last Christmas' started and Edward sighed, remembering last year's Christmas with Bella. What if the song became prophetic and once he declared his undying love for her on Christmas day she 'gave it away'? He couldn't let it happen. He didn't know how to live without her. Noticing her cousin was getting all misty-eyed, Rosalie started to sing in hopes to change his mood, as she howled more than singing.

Irina giggled and followed her example, but her voice was quite different, muting Rosalie's off-tune chants. Laurent was happy bopping his head to the rhythm of the song, only when he noticed Rosalie was watching he started to move something else... his chest. Left breast jumped followed by the right, all with the beating of the song and Rosalie blushed furiously, tried to make it look as she wasn't looking but Laurent winked to her. Three left, one right... da-da-da-daaa.

Edward felt the mood change and he forgot his memories of gleeful times with his beloved when a finger touched his hair. It was a soft touch, soothing. Bringing his attention to the woman on the back. She winked and shimmied her chest.

"Cheer up!"

Edward just gave her a tight-lipped smile and drove again his attention to the road.

There were debris and gravel in this part of the road, and the car started to shake. Somehow Edward lifted his sight to look at his passengers when Irina's breasts giggled with the car movement. Her mouth turned into an 'O' shape but she didn't seem troubled. That's when Edward realized she wasn't wearing a bra. And that her boobs were completely natural.

He shook his head. What was wrong with him? He loved Bella's boobs, they were just the perfect size and they were his, only for him. But on the other hand, he was only human, and like any red-blooded male if a pair of nice breasts were shoved into his face the least one could do is stare at them.

Laurent noticed Rosalie tensing, so he started a very simple massage on her shoulders.

"Hmm... Thanks."

What Rosalie was really thinking was that his hands were so strong and at the same time soft. He was massaging just that place where her neck was tense. Her eyes rolled back in pleasure and she forgot that Irina was in the car too.

Phhhhhhrrrtt!

The violent sound of a fart woke everybody from their trance. Slowly, everybody opened their windows a bit, not that any odor was coming but just in case...

Leah was patting her own back. Her flatulence idea was brilliant and she put those two in their place. Using pheromones to distract Edward was very low in her opinion.

xxx

"But I can work, I promise to pay you as soon as I get the money." Bella cried to her mother.

Finally, after two days of crying, Bella admitted that she was wrong and that she needed to talk to Edward as she couldn't let him go like that. The plan that she came with, was to wait 'til January to find out where Edward was staying, though she was sure he was in LA. Then, follow him and look out for him until he listened to her. She had to give it a try, right? So she was asking her mother a loan, for the bus fare and maybe the hotel and food.

Renee shook her head. Bella was a bit stubborn.

"I have a better idea. We think he may go to his mother Christmas party at Forks, right?"

Bella shook her head. "He doesn't like to go, he doesn't get along with his father."

"Hmm, let's just say... a little bird told me he was going this year," Renee said with a smile. Hoping Bella didn't have one of those mood changes and wondered how they got that little tidbit of information.

"Really?" Bella started to think. Maybe she could visit Charlie, and then go to find if Edward was really there. Yeah, with the excuse of coming for Charlie, if Edward wasn't there or he wasn't ready to listen to her, she could stay at Forks and regroup until her next chance to talk to him.

"And I have a deal. I can get you and Emmett tickets to Forks..." Renee said, "but you have to take this before you go." She handed Bella a pregnancy test.

xxx

Five minutes later, Bella found out she had one more reason to look out for Edward. Though this time, she wasn't doing it only for herself.


	7. Almost there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, for this story Sue is not Leah's mother, she's Charlie's new wife. Another change, Seth will be Emily's kid. Let's take a look at Forks... and maybe a bit on Bella.

"Charlieee!" Sue yelled from her bedroom. It was what become their usual way of communicating.

"What?!" He answered from his post, the couch.

"What time do your kids arrive?" Sue was happy for the impromptu visit, she liked Charlie's kids a lot. What bothered her is that she was left with the task of picking them up. At least they were arriving at Port Angeles because God knows it would take her whole day if they were coming from Seattle.

Charlie didn't answer and Sue huffed. Firstly, when they got married she thought it was a match made in heaven. Both had busy schedules and understood whenever the other couldn't get home in time. But now that Charlie was injured... he became the laziest man ever. And they already took the cast from him! Now he says he gets cramps on his leg and that his bones hurt with the cold, but Sue knew better after 20 years of being a nurse... he just got lazy.

"Charlie?"

"Four thirtyyy! Damn woman, don't you see I'm busy watching the game?!" came from downstairs.

Sue couldn't wait for the kids to come. Well, they weren't kids anymore, but to her, they would always be little Emmett and sweet Bella. She always gave them candy whenever they get to visit at the hospital. She really hoped Bella or Emmett will bust Charlie's ass.

She went downstairs, ready to leave for the day when the lightbulb from the living room broke.

"Charlie, please change the lightbulb." She asked though she knew he probably will forget about it as soon as she leaves the house.

"U-huh." Charlie barely lifted his sight from the TV.

"And take a bath, do you want your kids to find you like this?"

Charlie lifted his right arm and sniffed his armpit. He made a face. "Ok, you're right. Sorry, it' just I fell asleep yesterday and missed the game. I bet to Paul that the Seahawks would win." He made an effort to kiss Sue's lips but she was already leaving. Charlie looked at the time and he realized she was going to be late.

He wasn't like this before, he always was a man of action. But since he broke his leg, something changed. He felt always tired and then there was this voice inside his head, telling to rest or he would never feel better. Now everything seemed like a big burden to him. He just didn't feel the need to make the effort...

He stood and walked to his bathroom. Yeah, since he broke his leg, the downstairs bathroom became his because it would be almost impossible for Sue to get him upstairs and she was working all the time. And now that he was home she was always nagging with little things. 'Charlie, the faucet is leaking. Why don't you take a look and fix it?', that was last week when they took his cast away. 'Charlie, I only washed mismatched socks, put the rest in the hamper so you can have a clean pair.' That happened yesterday. What was wrong with his sleepers? It wasn't like he was going out anyway. Oh, right. The kids. Renee called and told him they were visiting. And she asked to be extremely patient with Bella, that she broke up with her boyfriend and she was too emotional. Bleh! Women! Just give him twenty minutes with the boy and he would teach him the right way to treat a woman. Well, maybe just five minutes on the phone... and maybe it really wasn't necessary. Emmett probably already beat that punk's ass. Yeah, better save a seat for Bella. They could watch TV together, it will take her mind of any problem.

xxx

At the other side of town, Esme Cullen dismissed the caterer as he promised to deliver the menu they agreed upon at seven thirty. Everything was ready for the Christmas party, and now Esme had nothing to do for the day.

Trying to keep her mind occupied, she went to the dinner to have a late breakfast.

Once she ordered her favorite greasy food, she relaxed and watched the people passing by through the window. There was something about the last days of December that got her gloomy.

Her phone rang, and when she noticed it was her husband calling she ignored it.

Once upon a time, they were very happy in love. Maybe their house in Chicago was small, but it lacked in size was compensated with warmth. Then, Carlisle and Eleazar made that successful stain remover and money came in loads. Moving from Chicago wasn't bad, Esme was a very social person, making new friends wasn't a hardship. As a matter of fact, she decided to make her Christmas party the 'event' in Forks as a way to keep in touch with her friends outside town while establishing bonds with the people of Forks.

And it was that way the first two years.

But then, somehow her quirky but usually loving husband changed. Well, maybe everybody changed. His business partner Eleazar moved to Port Angeles because their daughters didn't like the small town, it wasn't up t their standards. And don't let her start with Carmen, her once BFF. Now status and image were everything. And Carlisle became so greedy. He only wanted money and to keep his business growing, and in going through that path, he lost what was really important: their son Edward. Carlisle was hell bent on making Edward work for him, dismissing his choices as immature and not productive resulting in Edward visiting less and less every year. At least he still called her.

And that made her sometimes feel so lonely...

She was so lucky this year Edward swore to come. He said he had special plans and that he was bringing his girlfriend, the elusive Isabella Swan, daughter of Forks' police Chief. Despite being so intertwined, Esme had never meet Bella in person. And she was itching to finally talk to her. Edward seemed pretty serious in his intentions.

Esme just had to wait. She called to Rosalie the day before and she told her they were on their way, to expect them one day before the party.

"More coffee, Esme?"

Gianna, the waitress, asked her. Esme just pushed her cup a bit closer.

"You know, I just tried the dress I want to wear for the party and guess what? It fits like a glove! I can't wait to boogie the whole night through." she said shaking her booty.

"I'm sure you'll love the music," Esme answered dejectedly, bringing her mind back to more monotonous thoughts.

This year she wasn't that enthused about the party. It became an obligation and the only one to blame for it was Carlisle. Each year the party had to get bigger, and each year it was most about showing off than to sharing with their friends. Oh, and this year he wanted to make a big announcement, so he was adamant to have Edward to come. Obviously, Esme didn't mention the plans her guys made to each other; if Edward knew his father wanted him here he wouldn't come.

Esme giggled. Well, maybe this way they both could get back at Carlisle since he despises Chief Swan. Talk about irony, the girl that stole Edward's heart is the daughter of one of the people Carlisle barely stands. Let's see how he reacts once he finds out Bella Swan, the illustrious daughter of poor Chief Swan is Edward's girl.

xxx

Again, Bella was sitting on a plane, but this time she got her wish and she was staring out through the window. This plane was way smaller, but the seats were more spacious because Emmett was comfortably sleeping by her side.

But sleep never came to Bella, her troubled mind just jumped from one issue to another. What if Edward moved on? What if he didn't care? And in case he still cared, what if Edward thought she's looking out for him because of the baby? What if he still loved her but knowing about the baby put a strain on their relationship? Worst, what if he didn't want the baby? Bella was only sure of one thing, she already loved her baby. But everything else was so uncertain.

When she was with her mother, somehow those questions didn't plague her mind. Renee soothed her worries and promised everything would turn out fine. But now, alone with her thoughts, she wasn't so sure.

xxx

"He's so beautiful!" Edward's eyes beamed with pride at the image of the little bundle he was carrying.

Bella was tired but, as Renee, Sue and Esme told her, as soon the baby was out the pain ended to give place to one of the biggest joys she would experience in her lifetime.

"Look at your mommy." Edward got the baby closer to her, and when Bella took the baby's little hand to hold her finger, Edward kissed her forehead. "You just made me the happiest man alive."

"Wake up!"

"Uh?" Bella groggily opened her eyes, finding Emmett nudging her.

"We are about to land. You were so lost for a while, that I feel bad waking you up, but you need to fasten your seatbelt."

It was only a dream!

"What were you dreaming about? You seemed so happy and relaxed."

How could she explain? She didn't even notice when she fell asleep, overwhelmed with all the possible outcomes. But the one she dreamed of, that was something to hope for. "Possibilities, Emmett. Good ones."

xxx

While waiting for their luggage, Bella watched as Emmett was immersed in a call on his phone. For once, she thought he was calling Renee or Sue to explain they arrived well, but Sue was waving at her at the same time that a message came to her phone. Perhaps Charlie called? She walked closer to him, to let him know Sue was here.

"Yeah, I think we'll get there by seven. You too? Great! Oh, no, I think you're right. Let's play it by ear. Sure. Ok, I'll call you later." Emmett hung up with a smile.

"Who were you talking to?"

"A little surprise." He ticked her nose and turned to lift the luggage. "You're in no condition to carry the luggage."

"Hey! I can lift my bags."

"No, you're too distracted." And Bella bumped into another fellow picking his luggage. "See? Better go and hug Sue."

xxx

"You loved 'Sabrina, the teenage witch', right?"

After dinner, Charlie was channel surfing with Bella. Sue left to go to the hospital, as she changed to work the night shift so she could pick up the kids, leaving Charlie to hang up with them. But Emmett was pretty busy on the phone, and then one his old time buddies, Embry, came to greet him. So for now, it was only Bella and Charlie.

"I was like twelve, Dad." Bella rolled her eyes.

"Right, you had a crush on that Harvey guy. Do you remember how you wanted to dye your hair blond so you looked like her?"

Bella hid her face on one of the many pillows Charlie had around. "Oh God!"

"And then Emmett went but brought the wrong kind of dye and you ended with green hair and didn't leave home for like a week!" Charlie was chuckling. "Good times."

Bella was giggling too. "Yeah, then you wanted me to cut my hair like Emmett's. I'm so glad Sue managed to talk you out of that one. How are things between you two? She seemed in a hurry to leave."

"Meh, work. She's still as busy as always. I didn't realize how immersed in work we were until my leg broke." He lifted his straight bandaged leg from the coffee table as to make a point. "I mean, Forks isn't a town battling delinquency! Just folks overspeeding, a few guys with dope once in a while, and the usual scuffle at the bar. I'm learning to take things easy." He nodded.

Bella sighed, if only life was that easy for her.

"Oh, you frowned. Is there something troubling you? Renee mentioned you broke up with your boyfriend." Bella nodded. "Oh, baby. Don't you worry about it. There are plenty fish in the sea. And some of us didn't get it right the first time, like with your mother. See us now, we found our perfect match later in life. And we're all friends. Life is easy, we just like to complicate it."

Charlie's words didn't ease Bella's worries. Quite the contrary. Now she was almost certain that Edward would move on, to someone more amenable to his new job. She decided to change the topic of conversation before she got depressed.

"Does it still hurt? You didn't tell us." She pointed to his leg.

"Only when it's cold or when I move it brusquely. As soon as I get outside, I swear I feel my knees buckle. According to the doctor, I should be back to my old self by January. But those things he gave me, those make me feel so tired all the time. And then I think, why the hurry? I have food," and he lifted a bag of chips, "I have entertainment," he pointed to the TV, "nothing to worry for two more weeks."

With his last words, Charlie rested his head on the couch and closed his eyes. Bella realized Renee didn't mention her pregnancy to him, and she was glad. Who knows what Charlie would do to Edward in case he knew?

"You're too worried. Relax, baby. Nothing is gonna change in the next hour, so why don't you sleep for a bit?"

There was something, Bella couldn't pinpoint what, in Charlie's words and manners, that made her relax. He wasn't soothing like Renee, but he had a point. Nothing was going to change in the next hour, so why don't get a nap? So she closed her eyes.

xxx

Emmett came by ten minutes later, he just got off the phone after hearing Rosalie and Edward were fifteen minutes away from Forks. But when he saw Bella sleeping he decided it was better to leave their plans for the next day.

xxx


	8. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what you're waiting for... the reunion.

The last leg of the journey went by faster because Rosalie and Edward didn't stop once they left Redding and their awkward company. Right now, they just passed the sign welcoming them to Forks.

Rosalie just hung up on Emmett, who was already at his father's home.

Now that they arrived, Edward began to feel the anxiety, not knowing which should be their next step. "So our first stop, should be a hotel? I only remember this town having a small hotel and a dingy motel at the outskirts. And with my mother's party, I'm not sure we will find a couple of rooms."

"Are you kidding me? Your mother is waiting for us, let me call her to let her know we're here." She called and put the speakerphone.

Esme answered on the first ring. "Rosalie sweetie, where are you? Don't tell me you're still on the road."

"Oh no, Esme. We just passed the welcoming sign. We're on our way to your house..."

"Hmm, I'm still running an errand, I'll be back home probably in thirty minutes. But Carlisle is there."

Edward shook his head. There was no way he would face his father yet.

"Hmm, well, Esme we thought we could have dinner first..."

"Why don't you go to Harry's? It's a new sports bar. I heard they hired a few of Edward's old school mates. I'll catch up with you later."

Edward nodded, not really excited. He didn't keep up with his old high school friends because everybody went on different ways and he only met them for like five months, but seeing them wouldn't bother him. Though he would be happier if he could talk to Bella first.

"That seems perfect Esme. We'll wait for you there." Rosalie hung up with a smile. "So, I should call Emmett again, but I'm starving and I want to go to the girl's room too."

"Let's go to that bar. We'll call Emmet once we get food and relaxed. This place should be easy to find, there's nothing to do in this town."

xxx

"This is fantastic!" Rosalie said between bites of her hamburger.

The place was owned by Quill Ateara's family. He was Edward's old friend, and he was helping at the bar. He recently hired a new cook, some guy named Jacob who dropped culinary school to get closer to his sister and moved to Forks. That Jacob guy really was talented.

"I told you. Now, do you want to try our microbrews." Quill handed Rosalie a bottle.

Edward felt as if he was about to blow up, but those chicken wings were exquisite and so small that a couple more shouldn't add to his feeling.

Jacob, a tall black-haired young man, came to ask for their opinion. Since they were old acquaintances of the family, Jacob was using them as testers of his new dishes.

"Oh, and I also made some stir fry fish. Just taste it and give me your opinion." He came with a tray and various plates.

"Jacob... I'm so full." Rosalie patted her stomach. But Jacob gave her the puppy eyes that made her agree to her second serving of onion rings. "Well, just a bite, it won't hurt."

Her phone was ringing, but thinking it was Esme again, she let it go to voice mail. She swore she would take a look after she tried the fish.

"Edward, my friend, let me bring you another beer. I swear people come from Seattle to taste it." Jacob handed another bottle to Edward, who was feeling tipsy. If they hadn't eaten that much, he probably would be drunk by now.

"The last one, my friend. I'm driving home as soon as my mother gets here."

He took a sip and saw Rosalie's phone flashing on every color of the rainbow. "Hmm, Rose, you have a few messages and calls..."

Rose hiccuped and giggled. She was tipsy too. "Oops! Sorry." She lifted the phone, only to find five missed calls from Emmett. "Oh shit! Emmett, hi! We're here at Forks. Yep. We had to stop to eat because we didn't have anything since brunch. A-ha. We're at Harry's, the new sports bar. Really?" She frowned and looked at Edward. "Well, if you think it's better that way... Sure, you can come and we can talk. We'll wait for you."

"What did he say?" That call made all drowsiness from the food and the beers go away immediately.

"That Bella was too tired and fell asleep with their father. But he thinks it's better if the three of us talk first." She also sobered up. There was something Emmett wasn't telling her. Sure, she just met him, but she could feel it in her gut.

Edward sighed. "Well, maybe it's better. That way I know what I'll be facing tomorrow, right?"

xxx

"Jacob, my man!" Emmett patted Jacob's back. "Those ribs are to die for!"

Three hours later, the food and the drinks keep coming. Certainly, Rosalie and Edward were merely having a bite here or there, the food was irresistible. Rosalie dreaded the next weeks on the treadmill.

Edward called Esme and explained where they were and what they were doing, and she offered to pick them up when they were finished instead of going directly for them. She was happy Edward was bonding with his old friends, hoping that would make him visit more.

"And are you sure she will listen to me?" Edward asked, wringing his hands.

It took him an hour to tell his side of the story and Emmett was glad to confirm his suspicions... it was all a misunderstanding and a lot of miscommunication. Even after Emmett confirmed his blessing, if Edward still was planning on asking Bella to marry him, Edward was nervous. Emmett would gladly give him something more to think about, but he swore to Bella to keep it secret. And Emmett knew Edward would take it better if it came from Bella.

"Sure she will! She's aching to talk to you, believe me. I'm glad to see that I don't need to kick your ass." Emmett guffawed, he was also more than tipsy by now.

Edward answered with a nervous smile. Emmett was such a big guy... nothing like Mike's scrawny ass.

"Don't worry Edward, I'm sure in less than twelve hours, you will be my brother-in-law again."

xxx

Leah's first stop in Foks was her old home.

The house was in perfect shape like it was inhabited. Well, her mother probably sold it, still, she didn't have the strength to pry and find who was living there.

"It looks the same, right?" A tall blond man was standing right beside her. "I'm Jasper."

Leah gasped, he was Alice's counterpart.

"I'd like to think that I'm the yin to her yang." Leah forgot he, like Alice, could read her mind.

"You keep sending your minions."

"They're my team, not 'minions'. But yes, they have a mission, just like you." With a flourish, he opened the door. "Don't you want to know who lives in here? Why are you so attracted to whatever lingers inside this house?"

Leah was tempted.

"Your curiosity is natural. Alice should have explained why she chose you, well, more exactly why this mission was the one for you."

His words sparked a new wave of curiosity. Sure, Alice mentioned this mission would compensate the fact that she couldn't make amends with her mother, but how?

"Come on, take a look around. I know you want to." He winked.

And now Leah realized this was a test. Alice warned her she wasn't ready. That's why she didn't insist that Leah faced Emily

"Thanks but no, I have somewhere else to go." and she left to take a look at Bella and Edward.

She went to the Swan's home first. Leah was dumbstruck. Forks wasn't anything like she remembered. Her vague memories of Chief Swan were from a thin tall man, with three rebel hairs over his lips that developed with time into a bushy mustache.

It didn't matter how much she wanted to wake up Bella and made her face Edward right now, Bella needed her rest. So for once, Leah let the shadow mumbling on Chief Swan's ear keep going.

That Jacob was successful on his mission to keep the others entertained, but Leah worried about the next day. It was the day of the Christmas party. Leah's time was coming to an end, but she hoped her plan would turn out right.

xxx

After a good night of rest, Bella woke up with such an optimism that she could hear the birds singing and the sun shining... ok, not the sun shining. This was Forks after all. But she was in a great mood. She put the coffee maker to work and went for a bath. She wanted to wake up Emmett, to plan her next step but decided to let him sleep a bit more. After all, she found his snoring amusing.

Emmett was lost to the world. Esme Cullen picked them up from the bar around two in the morning. The bar wasn't really open, there were just them with Jacob and Quill, joking and drinking. They only agreed to reunite at the dinner, to let the lovebirds talk while they had breakfast. So before passing out, Emmett set the alarm on his phone for nine in the morning.

The phone beeped and beeped but Emmett didn't hear a thing. And because she was taking a bath, Bella didn't hear a thing. Of course, Sue already left for work and Charlie was watching TV downstairs. So no one listened to Emmet's phone.

At the other side of town, Rosalie and Edward were in a similar situation. At the Cullen's abode, there was a lot of movement. Esme was up early, to finish with the last details before the caterers and waiters arrived. Carlisle Cullen also woke up early. He had big plans for today. He called his business partner Eleazar Denali, to confirm he was coming along with his daughters. Carlisle couldn't help but smile, the big announcement would not only bring back Edward under his wings but will also help Eleazar with his wayward daughter Tanya. It was time to get things back on track.

He went through the hallway on the second floor, he thought he heard noises in the middle of the night and wanted to made sure those noises belonged to Edward and Rosalie coming home.

Sure enough, Edward was sleeping in his old bedroom. But when Carlisle got closer to him, he noticed Edward reeked of alcohol.

Carlisle huffed. It seemed Edward needed more guidance than what he thought. It was a good thing he was there to set the rules that would lead Edward the right way.

"Wake up!" Carlisle shook his poor hungover son. "We have so much to do today!"

"Uh?" Edward opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered was that Emmett agreed to bring Bella to the dinner at ten thirty...

"Go and take a bath! What a way to greet your father." Carlisle was shaking his head. "Come on, we have to have a talk before..."

Carlisle didn't have the chance to finish the last sentence because Edward took a look at the time... it was ten fifteen! He jumped out of the bed, letting Carlisle know he would be back to talk to him later and ran to take a bath.

Leah was back at Emmett's room. By now, he turned to the side and landed on his phone, quieting the noise of the alarm.

She was getting desperate. First, she tried to shook him, but he just turned around. She looked around the room, zooming her eyes on his large sneakers. She lifted the sneaker and threw it at him. Bingo!

"Hmm?" Emmett felt something... did someone just hit him? Then, between the drowsiness, he felt his phone vibrating under him. "Shit! 10:15!" And just like Edward, he ran to the bathroom.

There was an appointment with destiny!

xxx

The dinner was almost empty, and believe it or not, Edward and Rosalie were the first to arrive. Rosalie chose a booth at the back, just to the side of the exit to the dinner's playground. It was a spacious area with a jungle gym, swing sets, and a ball pit enclosed by a glass wall with only one door to access. It would give them privacy.

"Ok, when we see their car parking, you get to the playground. You will be alone and it will be your chance to talk to her."

Edward nodded and made sure he had the little box in his pocket. Maybe it was too soon, maybe he was getting his hopes too high...

"Stop it!" Rosalie slammed her hand on the table. "You are going to talk to her, let's see what she has to say, ok?"

Not one minute later, Emmett arrived with an oblivious Bella. She was the only one ignorant of the plan.

"But we could have breakfast with Dad. I think he feels lonely."

"Shh, just trust me, ok?" Emmett guided Bella through the booths. "Now close your eyes, I promise to not let you fall."

He opened the glass door that led to the playground, letting Bella standing right in front of Edward who beamed at the sight.

"OK, this is my Christmas present. Open your eyes!" Emmett said with a flourish.

"Edward!" Bella gasped.

"Bella, my love!"

The two lovebirds got quiet, just basking in the other's presence.

"Bella, love, I'm so sorry. I should have told you..."

"No, no. I should have trusted you. You were so right about Michael and I didn't put him in his place..."

"Shh, it doesn't matter. I just had to talk to you. I miss you."

"I miss you too. I'm so sorry."

To stop Bella from apologizing, and because he couldn't avoid it, Edward leaned down and kissed Bella. She didn't stop him either.

xxx

Back inside the dinner, Emmett and Rosalie were making small talk, keeping an eye on the couple outside.

"Do you think they'll get back together?" Rose wondered.

Emmett gulped down his coffee. "I'm pretty sure. Look at them."

"Oh, Rosalie and Emmett! What a surprise!"

The duo turned around, to notice Jacob coming with Irina and Laurent. Rosalie blushed and muttered a quiet curse.

"Jacob!"

"This is my cousin Irina, and I think you already met Laurent. These two are inseparable." Jacob winked, but he turned immediately to where Edward was still talking to Bella. "Oh, Edward is outside, let me greet him. He has to taste my Mexican style scrambled eggs."

Emmett stood in front of Jacob, blocking his view and stopping him from coming closer to the glass door.

"Oh, man. That will have to wait a bit. I think I didn't meet your cousin, I'm Emmett Swan."

xxx

"I'm really sorry for not telling you, but you have to know, I can't accept that job. I can't move to any place without you. And you had your job secured in Seattle..."

Bella sighed. "Not really. After what happened with Michael, I'm sure I don't want to go back."

"Erm... Well, about Michael... I may had given him a lesson in manners."

Bella beamed to Edward. "That's my man!" Then she looked at his hands that still were a bit mangled. "Baby! He hurt you!"

"This is nothing. I really kicked his ass. You don't have to worry about him."

"Edward, it was never about him. Besides, I'll go wherever you go. That is if you want me..."

"Baby, of course, I want you. I can't live without you. As a matter of fact..."

xxx

"Is that his girlfriend?" Irina wondered, licking her lips. "Maybe the three of us can play together."

She tried to pass Emmett but now Rosalie blocked her.

xxx

"Edward, stop. There's something you have to know before we can continue... I'm not sure if you still want me after this." Bella almost whispered the last part and looked down.

Turning her head, he lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. "There's nothing you can say that would change my mind."

This was IT. This was the moment that would define their future.

"Edward, I'm pregnant."

xxx

Behind the glass door, everybody went silent waiting for Edward's answer. In those ten seconds that it took him to answer, Rosalie looked to the back of the playground and she could swear she saw a blond man appearing out of nowhere. Then a black haired woman jumped to his back and she started to pull his hair, directing him to the opposite direction. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. She was sure she was hallucinating.

xxx

Edward smiled. "We're pregnant? We're going to have a baby?"

Bella nodded, still unsure of Edward's opinion.

"Then this will come handy." Edward got a little black box from his pants pocket. "Bella, baby, I planned to do this tonight at the party, but it seems that right now is the perfect moment. When I met you, I knew I'd met my match, and these days we spent apart, made me realize how I can't function without you by my side. Every time I think about you, I know that no one else will ever hold my heart the way you do. I know you're the only one I want to share the rest of my life with." Then, he got on one knee and Bella began to cry. "The story of our love is only beginning. Let's write our own happy ending. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Bella jumped into his arms as soon as he got up. Then they shared a passionate kiss.

xxx

Emmett felt like he was about to cry. This moment turned out better than what he expected. He turned back, to see how Rosalie was faring, only to find her sobbing and smiling.

"And Jacob?"

Rosalie turned around, but it seemed like Jacob, Irina, and Laurent left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they're back together! But this isn't over yet. Next, it's the Christmas party and Carlisle's plan. And Leah still needs to have closure.
> 
> So, what do you think?


	9. This is how we party

"You did pretty fine, just try to not attack Jasper in front of the living." Alice tried to remain stern, but she was really proud of Leah.

"But they interacted with them! How is that fair?" Leah argued.

"Well, life isn't fair. And they like to cheat, we're the better ones, though."

"So now that they're together..."

"No, you just finished with the first part. They still have to tell the good news to their parents."

"Renee knows and she is extremely happy."

"And I can tell you, Esme is going to get equally excited. Charlie and Carlisle though..." Alice shrugged her shoulders. "And before that..."

"Before that, I want to see what's going on with Emily. She's going to be at the party, right?" Leah was worried about seeing her but if dealing with her feelings about Emily was necessary, she preferred to do it before dealing with the rest of her mission.

"Ok, ok. Well, let's start with something that may shock you... Emily isn't going to come to the party. After what she did to you, she became some kind of pariah and she doesn't have any friends left in Forks." Alice opened a window, showing Leah one scene that would break her heart: Emily's wedding to Sam. "As you can see, this wedding was a sad affair."

The wedding hall was almost empty. Only the bride, the groom, Leah's mother, and Sam's parents. Surprisingly, Leah didn't feel the pain she expected.

"The reason why your mother cared for Emily is because she was the only family you two had left. So when you left town, it was just the two of them. I know she hurt you, but your mother wasn't one to abandon her pregnant young niece. Was she wrong by helping her? No. Was she wrong on the way she went with it? Yes. But she was only human."

Leah was crying now, looking through another window at images of her mother crying at night to a picture of Leah.

"Emily and Sam's mistake caused pain to all of you. And when the time comes, they will face it. But out of all the involved, you're the only one who could have found happiness. If only you wanted to find it. But you closed off."

"Hey! I was the only one innocent."

"No, you weren't. There's Seth, Emily's son. That poor kid grew amidst Emily's regrets and an irresponsible father."

Leah thought of a young kid, with dark hair and dimples.

"Twenty years had passed Leah, the boy is nineteen now." Alice sighed. "Listen, I don't want you to become Emily's advocate. She made a lot of mistakes and that's for her to own and face. But I want you to let go of your resentment. You played victim for twenty years instead of moving on, and now it's time to leave it all behind. I need you to forgive Emily. And then move on."

xxx

The Christmas party was in full swing. People dancing and eating, mingling and laughing, and Esme was proud of another perfectly planned social gathering coming to fruition without a hitch. Another reason to smile was to find her son with his gorgeous girlfriend. They came by to greet her, but she was so busy they didn't have the chance to chat. It was difficult to keep tabs on everyone. Carlisle, for instance, was busy talking with Eleazar half an hour ago, but now was busy looking for someone, probably Edward, but he was busy avoiding him. Esme agreed with Edward and Bella that it would be better to leave personal matters 'til the party was over. Carlisle probably would make a scene and no one knew how Chief Swan will react too.

x

At the opposite of the spacious hall, Edward was explaining to Bella and Emmett who were some of the guests. Rosalie provided further explanations with her snarky remarks. Some of those people were hilarious!

"That woman in the red dress, that's Carmen Denali. Used to be my mother's friend until she felt she was way above from all of us when she found one of her ancestors was royalty." Edward said in a low voice.

"Mind you, it was her great-great-great-great grandfather. And I think he married the third cousin of a Duke." Rose added. "And that is if you want to believe the clairvoyant who told her also that in a previous life she was betrothed to a prince."

"Rose!" Edward tried to sound stern.

"What? Excuse me if I like to mock people that hurt my very sweet aunt Esme. Those blond girls standing with her are her daughters. The strawberry blond one isn't so bad, if anything, she likes her privacy. But the other one, Jane, she acts like her shit doesn't stink. Last time I saw her she demanded I followed her for a week to take a set of pictures of her vacation in Hawaii. She couldn't believe I didn't drop my obligations to accompany her. 'Imagine the prestige my pictures will give you'." Rose said in a nasal voice, making the others laugh.

"You never mentioned it," Edward said between laughs.

"Meh. It wasn't the first time they tried to use me. I don't know why once you say you're a photographer in LA, everybody thinks you love to follow actors." Rosalie said shaking her head.

x

Charlie was seated on a very comfortable chair just at the side of the buffet table. When Esme saw him limping she was fast to accommodate him in that place. He was watching the other guest having fun while he ate. Perfection in his humble opinion.

Sue just made sure he was fine before she left to mingle, she was dying to talk to her coworkers now that they were out of the hospital. God knows how many times they left in the middle of a conversation! And she so wanted to brag about how beautiful Bella looked tonight. Emmett looked dashing too. Those Swan genes made gorgeous kids.

x

Carlisle looked around and decided now it was the perfect time to give his announcement. Eleazar was standing by his side, equally eager.

"My girls are standing over that corner with their friends." Eleazar pointed to a set of bored young women.

"I can't find Edward, but I'm sure he's around." With his most charming smile on his face, Carlisle called everybody to pay attention. It was time for his big announcement.

"Good evening folks," Now he got the whole room attention, "firstly, I'd like to thank you for coming. You are the ones who make of this night, one of the best parties ever." The crowd applauded and it only encouraged Carlisle to keep talking. It wasn't a secret that he loved to be the center of attention.

x

Meanwhile, Esme found herself walking very slowly to where her husband stood, not a bit eager to find what his big announcement was about.

The group of Bella, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett remained at the same corner, not really paying attention to Carlisle's words.

Charlie was munching a delicious quiche.

And Carmen Denali was firmly planted by her husband side, making sure to be noticed despite standing behind Carlisle.

x

"So my best friend and business partner, Eleazar Denali," Carlisle stopped to point to his friend, "and me, we are proud to announce the future union of our families. What better way to strengthen our bond than by having our kids to marry. So with it's with great pleasure we announce the engagement of Tanya Denali with my son Edward Cullen."

The choir of applause that Carlisle expected didn't happen. Instead, a chorus of 'No!' followed by a staggering 'Hell no' from Esme was the answer he got.

And damn if Esme could move fast in her gown and those heels. "How you dare to make this kind of assumption without consulting it with any of the parts involved?" Esme was a sight on her fury.

She was followed by Edward, his group, Tanya, and her group, all denying Carlisle previous words.

"Dad! I'm already engaged." Edward huffed.

"What? Why didn't you mention this before?" Carlisle wondered.

"Because you didn't give me the chance." Edward gently led Bella to stand in front of his parents. "This is my fiancé, Isabella Swan."

"What?" Charlie screamed from his post at the back, choking on his ninth quiche.

"Swan? As in Chief Charlie Swan's daughter?" Carlisle asked, shocked and repulsed. "You have to be kidding. That hillbilly! She's probably going after our money. She's a golddigger!"

Charlie Swan got enough. Whatever grudge he and Carlisle hold against each other, wasn't a reason for him to insult Bella. So forgetting his limp, he ran straight to Carlisle and with all his might he landed a punch square in Carlisle's jaw.

"Golddigger your mama! You are a judgemental fool!"

Carlisle answered too, by hitting Charlie's nose.

Sue ran too, but when she was about to separate them Esme stopped her.

"Let them fight. Those two have a grudge that being going on for so long. It better be over when they get tired of fighting. Men, they love to act like kids."

x

Tanya Denali also had a few words for her parents.

"You know I'm in a committed relationship. Claire moved with me six months ago!" She also had a gorgeous woman nodding by her side.

"You mean when you said girlfriend you didn't mean a girl that was your friend?" Eleazar scratched his head. He was truly confused.

"Da-ad! I told you long ago that I'm not into men."

"What she means is that she's a lesbian," Jane said with a bored voice.

"Lesbian?! Oh!" Carmen Denali, as dramatic as always, had a hand over her head and fainted.

x

A man in a brown suit was taking tons of pictures and he said to the woman standing by his side with a pad and a pen. "I swear, the next number of Forks Weekly Gazette is going to be a hit!"

x

Esme and Sue were beaming and gushing about Bella's ring. They were so happy they were crying!

"They're going to have the most beautiful babies!" Esme said between sobs.

Edward gave them a nervous smile and put his hand on the back of his neck, a telltale that he was to say something that could put him in trouble. "Hmm, about that... "

xxx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter and a short epilogue.
> 
> I promise no more bumps in the road of our star-crossed lovers. But maybe a bit of resolution for Leah...


	10. Forgiveness

"We did it! We showed them! Aaaand kicked their asses!" Alice was doing the cabbage patch and jumping around.

Leah smiled and thought that becoming an angelic being didn't give you poise and grace, but Alice's moves were contagious and soon Leah joined her doing the running man.

"Are you sure it's over? I mean, Carlisle didn't seem too pleased and he didn't know he is about to become a grandpa."

"It's over. After that little fight with Charlie, both sets of wives are going to put them in the doghouse for a while. They won't let them protest about their new found status either. But they'll probably fight for the nickname of 'pops'." Alice grinned with the last word.

"Why are you this happy? Does this happen with every mission?"

"Well, yeah. But you have to understand. It was eons ago the last time I beat Jasper. He's a meticulous strategist, as you could see by with how much anticipation he moved his pieces on the board. That little fight between Edward and Bella, that was all his fault. And he encouraged that boy Michael too. Though Charlie becoming lazy was a bit too easy."

Soon, Leah found out they weren't alone.

"Ladies." Jasper appeared with his charming smile. "Miss Leah Clearwater, I just came by to say 'touché' and acknowledge a great opponent. It was a pleasure to work against you." He said and curtsied.

"Hmm, well, thanks." Leah couldn't fathom what he was doing here. Sure, the limbo was no man's land, as Alice explained before. But Alice also told her it was over.

"Oh, no. I really came to congratulate you. It was so long ago that Alice won a case against me, that she probably forgot that I always exchange pleasantries with the winner."

Alice huffed.

"And now, I'll part. Until next time, Miss Clearwater. You'll be a great rival in future missions. I hope you find closure and forgive your cousin, you know, to settle her score." And with a poof, he was gone.

"Sore loser!" Alice waved her fist against the cloud of smoke.

"Settle her score?" Now Leah was really perplexed.

"He wishes it was that easy. Nope, your forgiveness is only for you. No pending business with the living, remember?"

Leah nodded, still unsure of how to deal with all the emotions the mere thought of Emily evoked. "Erm, Alice, I think I'm able to deal with visiting my mother's grave."

Alice's eyes were round as plates. "That's something... you can't yet... let's start with something easier. We can go to her house."

xxx

Alice was following Leah through the little house, handing her tissues. If this was the easy task...

"This is little Seth, right?" Leah pointed to a picture over the chimney's mantle. It was a young boy with dark hair in full baseball gear, he was hugging Leah's mother and she had the biggest smile. This wasn't the first picture of him that Leah found.

"Yeah, he became your mother's light and joy. He's a really good kid."

Leah was torn. Her mother kept her pictures hanging on the walls, which made her aware that she was still a pretty important part of her life. And the thought that she missed the last twenty years of her mother's life broke Leah's heart. But then, the impressive amount of pictures depicting Seth's grow made Leah glad that her mother wasn't alone and found another source of joy. It also helped that Emily was only in a few selected pictures... and here wasn't a trace of Sam.

"Well, Emily took the majority of the pictures, that's why she doesn't appear. And Sam... your mother slapped him when Emily came crying hoping to divorce him. That marriage was broken too fast."

Leah had a lot of curiosity but wasn't sure she really wanted to know. Alice, on the other hand, knew Leah had to know about Emily's life in order to gain closure.

"Oh, come on! If it isn't now, then when you're going to find out? The truth is as soon as she gave birth, Emily had to get back to work. Sam got fired from every job. And the straw that broke the camel was when Emily came back from a grueling shift to find Sam passed out drunk and baby Seth laid forgotten in his crib." Alice was shaking her head. "The idiot tried to demand custody of Seth, to make Emily pay child support. Like someone would leave an infant with him."

As much as it hurt, Leah finally accepted that she was so much better without Sam. Still, she felt betrayed by Emily. It didn't matter how high was the cost she paid for cheating on her with Sam. But she felt some kind of affection for little Seth.

"Look, this is Emily." Alice showed her the picture of Seth's high school graduation, probably because it was the more recent one.

Leah gasped at what she saw. Long gone was the vibrant teenager that came to her home so long ago. This was a woman, that despite being five years younger than Leah, seemed at least ten years older. The life sucked out of her, but her eyes shone with pride for the young kid at her side.

"Let me tell you a little tale. Once you left, things changed a lot for your mother. You remember she cooked desserts for the dinner, right? Well, there was a change in management and they didn't need her services anymore so your mother was left living off her pension. Mind you, it was fine for just herself."

Alice stopped to let Leah wrap her head around the fact that her mother needed her help and she wasn't here to help.

"Then, of course, Emily dumped Sam. She came back here because your mother offered. And it turned out fine, that way, your mother cared for Seth and Emily went out to work. Babies are expensive, so Emily was running like crazy with two jobs and even three when the time arose. But, it was fine."

"Did Emily ever try to... I mean, she was young. She could find a boyfriend." Leah was curious.

"Just like you, but no. Emily devoted her life to Seth. I told you, everybody turned their heads the other way when she came around. So she didn't have friends. Nor she looked out for friendships."

"But Seth needed a male figure."

Alice just sighed. At least Leah showed worry for the poor kid.

"With time, finding a job in Forks became difficult. Emily commuted every time further and further away until she ended up staying weekdays on Seattle and coming back for the weekends. She briefly considered to move over there but then your mother got sick."

Leah gasped.

"Nothing serious. Just her blood pressure went up, she developed osteoporosis. Just those pesky ailments that come with age. But with those, she needed help and more money. Those checks you sent on her birthday came very handy and boy if they made every penny count."

Now Leah felt something else, regret. Leah was doing rather well financially. She could have helped.

"So now you have Emily with two jobs in Seattle from Monday to Friday, coming back to Forks only to work a few hours in the community center. Seth also started as a busboy at the dinner. Life wasn't easy over here."

"I could have helped."

"Yeah, and she could have asked for help. It's a two-way road. I just want you to understand how Emily, Seth and your mother got closer. The didn't do it to spite you, it was more of a necessity."

"Still..." Leah recalled her vacations. She traveled all across Europe and many places around the country. Any place but Forks.

Alice stood in front of Leah and hugged her. "I didn't bring you here to drown in your misery. It happened and it wasn't only your fault. That's just the way life turned out."

Leah cried for many minutes more, until she felt the weight on her chest didn't hurt. Then she walked to what she recalled was her mother's room. She opened the door and gasped. It was almost the same!

What brought the tears again, was an urn laying on her mother's dresser.

Alice was there, and something in her touch made Leah let go of all her sadness and regrets. She never imagined it would feel like this to face her past.

"This is when everything gets tricky. When your mother passed away, Emily had a hard time trying to reach you. Your mother hid your address and your cards from her from fear she would want to ask for forgiveness. Your relationship with her was so fragile that she didn't want to disturb it anymore."

"So that's why I never find out."

Alice nodded. "Then, the reading of your mother's will happened. Now, I don't want you to get mad, but she left the house and her savings to Seth."

Leah found it logical. And surprisingly, it didn't hurt. Because, well, Seth need it. And Leah was away and doing fine.

"Sure, those little trinkets and things with sentimental value were supposed to be handed to you. Alas, Emily didn't have a clue of where you were."

"It seems to me that there's something more. Why are you telling me this?"

Alice exhaled. "This is the crux of the matter. Your mother named you executor of her will. She made the will when Seth was still a minor, and in fear something happened to Emily too, she thought you could manage her belongings for Seth. Then, of course, there was the fear that Sam came back trying to get his hands on the little inheritance."

Leah's mind was spinning. Ok, she was the executor but now Seth was legally an adult. So why...

"Then there's the task of scattering your mother's ashes. Emily knows you need to be present. Despite your anger toward her, Emily wouldn't dare to hurt you anymore. She's been waiting for you to organize this room with all of your mother's belongings." Alice walked to the closet and opened it to show Leah how it was still full of clothes. "Emily had been looking out for you desperately. She got a third job in order to hire a private investigator. He provided her with your phone number."

A memory sparked on Leah's brain. The calls from an unknown number. She was too busy to answer and hoped they left a message but they didn't.

"That was Emily?"

"Yep. But it wasn't easy for her. How do you leave a message stating 'hey your mom died. Can you come home?'. Emily wanted to tell you in person, but given the circumstances, a call should do it. And she knew if she left a message and you saw it was her calling, you wouldn't call her back."

"So this was 'settling the score'? or how is it related to... Why was I assigned to help Bella and Edward?" She was getting more confused. As much as was getting an inkling on what she was supposed to do on Emily's side, then there were Jasper's words and the fact that she still didn't know why she was chosen to help Bella and Edward.

Alice huffed. "I swear I'm going to kick Jasper's ass next time I see him. You're not related to them at all, but it may have to do with Emily. See, I told you Emily moved to Seattle and worked there, on Volturi Inc. Where Bella and Edward were interns. Well, she was in charge to deliver the internal packages between the company. One night, when she got tired of calling you and not finding you, she decided to ask the investigator to find your address. She spent the whole night crunching numbers to find a way to afford the trip. The next day, she was tired, with the beginnings of a cold, and distracted. Very, very, distracted. So the package where Edward's job offer was detailed... she had to deliver it. That day Edward was busy and she couldn't find him. She received very specific orders from HR, to give the package without making Edward's work partners aware, because, well, it was an offer not available for them. You see where I'm going? She had to leave work on time to get to the investigator office, so she was in a hurry. Long story short, to save time, she gave the letter to Bella. Unprofessional, sure. But who better to deliver the package to Edward than his girlfriend."

"Oh."

"Yep." Alice opened a window, where the scene played. An exhausted Emily handed Bella the envelope. Bella called Edward who told her to open it, thinking it was something different. Bella left her phone on her desk and read the letter... and Mike took the opportunity to hide Bella's phone.

"Oooh." Now Leah understood how a little detail, not related at all, brought everything down.

"Certainly, it was bound to happen. I told you, Jasper is very meticulous, I barely managed to stop everything he tried to break them up but that little accident moved things along. So, in a very convoluted and farfetched way, Emily caused the break up to happen. But she wouldn't be so distracted if it wasn't looking out for you. Sure, it needed to happen, but still."

Leah was tapping her chin. "And why did you choose me? This case started before I died, and really it isn't related to me. So why me?"

Alice was pulling her hair. Leah was very perceptive and Jasper played with her mind to make it more difficult.

"Well, my last partner decided she couldn't do this anymore. I don't know if I mentioned it, but we don't always win. Many, many times the good we try to fix gets wrecked, and the mess gets bigger and bigger. Sometimes we have to admit that it's out of our hands to save a situation." Alice was almost crying. "But we have to keep the faith and try again. But it came too much for Lisa and she decided to help humanity in another way. So, I was alone. Then this mission came. I started to check on Emily by accident. And, erm, the few chosen to help this way have to have certain qualities. Not everybody is capable. In checking Emily, and trying to help her, I found you. You were dying, and the moment you used your last minutes on Earth to help that poor girl to escape and saved her, I realized you were the whole package. You're selfless, intelligent, have a heart of gold. So, well, I may have had got in the way of the angel coming to get you and asked for you. My superiors agreed this was a good way to prove yourself and help you to settle your earthly businesses. It was win-win for everyone involved."

Alice left Leah alone for a bit. She needed to come to terms with so much...

"So this is it." Leah paced around what used to be her childhood home. "Well, with my mother gone there's nothing keeping me here." Then she turned and looked at the same picture. Her mother and Seth smiling to the camera. "Seth has the same straight hair as her." Leah touched a strand of her own hair. "Well, I have it too." That little similarity made her realize he was the last family she had left. And it hurt.

She turned and walked over 'her' side of the wall. Pictures depicting her childhood, her moody teen years, the beginnings of adulthood. She was happy in all of them. Then she noticed the few pictures she sent after she left. The smiles she wore on them never reached her eyes. Except in this one. She was posing with Waffle, her dog. Was it sad that the only true happiness she showed in the last twenty years stemmed from a dog?

She called to Alice. "Can we check on Bella and Edward, please?"

Alice appeared again and nodded sadly. "Sure. Anything you want."

"I'm just..." Leah shrugged her shoulders. "I need to know that what we did mean something. Because right now, I feel like I didn't do anything with my life. Just wasted it. In twenty years my existence will be forgotten."

Alice was by Leah's side in a second, hugging her. "Oh, that's not true. You left a mark on the world. And you can still do more."

"Just... just let me look at them, please."

xxx

The Cullen's home at Forks became the Swan-Cullen's wedding headquarters. After the Christmas party debacle and an extensive discussion, Bella and Edward decided to marry on Valentine's day. A small, private wedding. Edward accepted the LA job, and because he was supposed to start to work in March, they wanted to get married before moving. It helped that Rosalie offered Bella a job as her assistant while Esme and Renee found an affordable apartment.

The table in the dining room was covered with magazines, fabric swatches, flower catalogs. And a chatty group of women, discussing the best hair do for Bella.

"But Edward loooves her hair down." Rosalie pointed, letting a few curls of Bella's hair loose.

"Awww!" Esme, Sue, and Renee cooed.

"Aww." Charlie mimicked batting his eyelashes to Carlisle, who was confined to the couch just like him.

"Shut up!" Carlisle snapped, shaking his still bandaged fist.

The result of their fist fight was that Charlie's leg went back to the cast, both sets of hands sprained, Carlisle also had a concussion, a bruised rib, and his sciatic nerve was pinched. Not to mention two bruised egos.

"Isn't she lovely?" Esme led Bella to where the men were bickering. They were taking advantage now that Edward went out, to try the dress and hair for the wedding.

Bella twirled and curtsied, happy to fit in the dress.

"Oh, my baby!" Charlie cried.

"You look beautiful." Carlisle wept. He became quite fond of Bella once he was given the chance to really meet her.

"And it still has room in case the baby bump starts to show." Renee pulled the fabric around Bella's waist.

Charlie grumbled a few curses. That Cullen boy should be thankful Charlie Swan wasn't in shape to kick his ass for impregnating his daughter.

"Daddy, you don't like it?" Bella wondered; the tears about to spill from her sad eyes.

Now the rest of the women were glaring at Charlie, and Sue elbowed him.

"No, no, no, baby." Charlie was shaking his head. "You look like pretty."

"Bella, you look stunning. Like a princess." Carlisle interrupted Charlie nervous ramblings. "My son is such a fortunate man to have you by his side."

The women swooned after Carlisle words while he gave Charlie a smug smile.

"Now let's change you back to your jeans before Edward gets back." Renee pushed Bella back to the stairs. "Ah, by the way, your friend kate called. She asked me to tell you that the mission was accomplished. What did she mean?"

xxx

Leah sighed and turned to Alice. "What did she mean?"

"Kate was supposed to make sure Michael saw the wedding invitation. Trust me, he saw it."

"Ah." Leah exhaled. "Alice, I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" Alice still had doubts.

"Yeah. I believe I'm over what Emily did to me. I honestly can think of her and Sam together and not feel a bit of pain."

"A-ha. And..."

"I feel bad for the time wasted, but I'm aware that it's done. It's time to move forward. What do you want me to do about Seth?"

Alice smiled. "Well, it's kind of cheating but... you have to make Emily aware of your death. Do you have a will or something else pending?"

"I have a will, but, I'm sure my lawyer is already working on it. You know, the way I worded it, all my belongings may come to Seth too. I left everything to my mother or in her absence, my last living relatives." Leah smiled too, thinking of giving Seth the chance to chose the college he wanted to. The chance to see the places she visited. The chance to choose his future. "Do you think if we left the newspaper with the picture of my accident, Emily will notice?"

xxx

Emily opened the door to the Forks' home. She was exhausted and still didn't have a clue of how to pay for the trip to Buffalo.

"Seth, I'm home!" She dropped her keys on the coffee table.

Seth came to greet her with some old newspaper on his hands. "Mom, is this about Aunt Leah?"

The headline said 'Gruesome accident caused by the storm'.

"Oh, God!"

xxx

Leah gave a last glance to her childhood home. It was time to go.

Suddenly, she felt her chest about to burst out of joy. She was making the life of those remaining there easier.

Soon, she felt as she shook off the weight she was carrying. And she was getting lighter and lighter...

Then, there was only light.

"Welcome to your new home, Leah." The voice came from everywhere.

Alice materialized suddenly and she wasn't alone.

"Waffle!" The dog ran to Leah, jumping into her arms.

"He was waiting for you, the little rascal." Alice's beaming smile

"Waffle, my sweet boy." Leah's tears got lost between Waffle's licks.

"You will never be alone, Leah. You'll be surrounded by love."

And she certainly was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's it. Just a little epilogue left. If you want to know about the future of any character, just ask me and I will include it.
> 
> What do you think? Did you like it?

**Author's Note:**

> So give me your opinion :)


End file.
